Susan's Super Citizen Showcase

Come to my new blog

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Thanks for reading Susan's Super Citizen Showcase. I've been concentrating my daily efforts on my other blog - so come on over to
http://www.mainwriter.com

C R Avery sings a naughty song at CBC radio concert

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:49:00 +0000

CR Avery's lyrics caused me to laugh and laugh aloud with shock during his CBC Radio 3 recording in Vancouver on Saturday, Feb. 6. He teamed up with the Legal Tender String Quartet, who offered some wicked violin solos and general intensity. CR and the quartet were a combo that combined in such a cool way - such rich strings with CR's music and concepts and showmanship.

Regarding the most risque song, CR said if more men followed in his footsteps there would be less war. I'm too polite to quote him here, and I'll be curious to see if it gets on the air. I hope it does! I'm even more of a fan now, along with many other ladies I'm sure. LOL

This concert was the first of CBC Radio's Toque Sessions Concert Series - and we all got really cool toques.

Vancouver says bye to Paul McKenzie at Enigmas reunion

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:40:00 +0000

Back for one show and one show only after 20+ years are seminal Vancouver punk/new wave heros The Enigmas.

So says the Facebook Page for the Enigmas Reunion - a long-awaited event on January 8 for those of us who loved their shows back in the 1980s. At Vancouver's 50 Bourbon Street, the crowd danced like mad to some of my faves from "back in the day" - Windshield Wiper, Out of the Question, Teenage Barnacle (see YouTube video, below), and Psychotic Reaction.

A sample of comments from Facebook:

"The Enigmas blew the roof off the joint last night! Goddamn..."

"Could I have had a better time at The Enigmas last night? Absolutely not..."

"...last night's show ranks in the top 5. Vancouver is amazing!"

"The Enigmas rocked the house last night and I was so amazed to see all those familiar faces under one roof sharing the moment...xo to Paul, he will be missed."

Indeed, it is sad but true: Paul McKenzie is leaving Vancouver for Austria - and departing today on tour with the band he's played in since 1992: The Real McKenzies. Paul - always the joker - told us why he is leaving us for Austria.

"If you people hadn't voted for Gordon Campbell twice in a row, this wouldn't be happening - so you can blame yourselves!"

The show was held in celebration of Vancouver cinematographer Danny Nowak's 50th birthday. The Manglers - "Canada's only Stranglers tribute band - also treated us some fine musical entertainment, as always.

A visit from the mystical Thunderbird?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:01:00 +0000

By Earl Maquinna Sutherland guest blogger, Vancouver, BC

About a week ago, I saw a huge bird flying way high over Vancouver. It was black, but it didn't look like an eagle or heron or any other bird I've ever seen before. It was hard to gauge how big it actually was, but I'd say quite a bit larger than a bald eagle, but smaller than a beaver aircraft. It never once flapped its wings, and I must have observed it for nearly two minutes. There was another witness, a Filipino woman. I pointed it out to her, and she commented it was the biggest eagle she had ever seen. It went into some clouds and we both lost sight of it and I haven't seen it since.

I thought it was spectacular, and am still convinced it wasn't a huge eagle. I would like to believe that I saw the mythical Thunderbird. I've googled unknown birds and the closest thing I came was these sightings of huge unknown birds in the Philippines. And, yes, the other witness was Filipino. Weird! (but true).

Some peeps around the world fear the Thunderbird, but we First Nations revere it. To witness it is supposed to be almost a spiritual experience.

p.s. I have a ghost story too. but later ;)

Blue Man Group Megastar World Tour hits Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:11:00 +0000

"Scream if you're paying attention."

That message was broadcast in LED lights to the audience at the Blue Man concert last night at UBC's Thunderbird Arena. I took their photo, above, using my iPhone.

The three blue dudes shared the stage with four drummers, three electric guitarists, a keyboarding man singer, a powerful trip-hoppy woman singer, and others. It was as much theatre as it was music - and my 9-year-old son joined in with the rest of the audience who participated on queue. I thought he was going to lose his voice!

The storyline of the show explores what happens when the Blue Man orders a guidebook on how to become rock megastars. As the Blue Man's expressions shifted from confused to curious to nervous to mischievous, the audience was wild with laughter - screaming, stomping, jumping, and practising rock moves together. The guitarists hammed it up in full, rock guitar solo style. It's so amazing to watch how the Blue Man trio creates music - actual melodies - with their big, plastic pipes.

Here's what Blue Man member Wes Day told Canwest writer Graeme McRanor: "The best part of touring the world is getting to see it all and getting to meet amazing people and audiences," he said. "It's incredible to see how different we are, yet how universal our reactions can be to non-verbal humour." (Read full article.)

Vancouver Jaks host 24th annual skate comp for kids at China Creek

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:45:00 +0000

Once a year, on the second Saturday of September, the Vancouver Jaks Skate Club invites local East Van kids to China Creek Skatepark for a skate competion. Yesterday was the 24th annual Jaks skate comp at China Creek - the oldest skatepark in Vancouver and the second oldest skatepark in Canada.

This year is China Creek's 30th birthday and we are lucky it's still here. It was nearly demolished in 2007, but a plan to bulldoze it was cancelled after local fans of the park lobbied the Vancouver Parks Board and convinced them the China Creek Skatepark had value as a public space in an area that lacks parks. Kudos to the Vancouver Parks Commissioners for listening to the community and creating such a beautiful park renovation.

Yesterday China Creek was buzzing - with more than 100 at the Jaks comp and dozens more on the new playground.

"I talked to every Jak here and they think for sure this is the most people we've had in a skate comp ever," says Jaks veteran Simon Snotface, whose recent novel Prisoner of Evil has been described as "one of the most disgusting books ever written."

My son met Simon at a recent punk rock reunion party - and the two hit it off! Simon invited Toby to the comp and he has been excited about it for the past few weeks. On the big day, he started bugging me to take him to China Creek at 7:30 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., we were the very first people to arrive. Toby wanted to practice for the comp due to start around noon.
I noticed dew on the grass as I opened my lawn chair on the grassy hill above the skate bowls. I felt like a "skate mom" - similar to but different than a soccer mom. I chatted with a mom breast feeding her baby at a picnic table. I sat in my lawn chair and read twitter tweets on my iphone. I saw the first two teenaged boys who showed up.

"Everyone will be watching and clapping and cheering you on, no matter what you do," one of them said to my son.

"Don't be scared of falling," says the other, a Grade 11 boy named Tony who honed his skating skills while living beside China Creek.

Jaks members and their families and friends and local kids all showed up - along with a generous offering of prizes from Skull Skates, Zulu Records, and others (please comment and tell me who I missed). I recorded a little chat with Simon, using QuickVoice on my iPhone. He told me how the prizes have changed since the comp's early days.
"Back in the day, all of us were on welfare and no one had any jobs, so we had to go collect pop cans and save our empties and go to Value Village and buy bogus trophies," Simon says. "That was 20 years ago. Now we're all growed up and we're all better. Lots of us own businesses and have lots of cash so now we get very generous donations to make this thing go down. This year my entire purpose is to encourage young people and anyone who's being intimidated, like girls. It's been fantastic. This year, even the kid who came in last in juniors got a deck and all.."

My son came home with a new skate deck, a set of wheels, two t-shirts, and three music CDs. It was like Christmas morning for him. For these kids - many of whom are from low income families - it was an absolute delight to get these prizes. Our new pal Brendan - an 11-year old in Grade 6 - won skate shoes and sat beside me as he took them out of the box and put them on. That's one less pair of shoes for his family to pay for - a big help!
Sincere thanks to the Jaks for putting on another great event for our kids.

Let's all say thanks to the Jaks in the comments section here on this blog...

Merchant makes time for curious kid

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Edward Gutierrez answered a slew of questions from my son today when we visited his store in Chinatown. He showed us healing stones and described their attributes - obsidian, coral, jet, jade, a type of meteorite found in China, and more.

I felt so happy and grateful that Edward took the time to answer so many questions from a curious little boy. This type of spontaneous education is exactly what I love.

We will go back to Edward's shop - Artistic Arts and Craft Ltd. at 107 East Pender St. Vancouver B.C. Canada. They sell fine gem stones and jewelry at affordable prices, like pendants starting around $12.

As I glanced at Chinese horoscope necklaces, charms, bracelets, rings, and collectables I made a mental note: "Remember this place next time I want to buy a gift."

My son is saving $49 for an obsidian wand. Son said he felt a cool wind come from the wand when Edward pointed it above the palm of his hand. He told Nana about it on the phone tonight and she was skeptical. My mom describes herself as "down to earth" and she only believes in things commonly believed by Western science and medicine. She is a smart, skeptical Nana who asked my son a few times: "Are you sure you felt something when the stone pointed at you?"

He said to me later: "Hmph! So much for supporting my new interest. She should be more open-minded."

Curtis Brick dies in the sun at East Vancouver park

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:18:00 +0000

I know the exact spot in Grandview Park where Curtis Brick died. I've stood there many times watching my son play in the kids water park on Commercial Drive by Britannia Community Centre. Curtis lay right in that spot in the park for eight hours on July 29 - "the hottest day on record" in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

I first met Curtis on Commercial Drive around 2006. He was sitting with some friends on the sidewalk near Spartacus Gym on Grant Street and our eyes met while I unlocked my bike. We chatted for about 10 minutes and I gave him a granola bar. He told me people used to give food to artists like him, and after that day, we always said hi.

It sickens me to think of him laying there, suffering.

Now people are talking about why no one helped Curtis. Was it racism? (Curtis was Aboriginal.) Or was it because nobody realized he needed help? We often see people laying in the park and rarely see a reason to disturb them.

According to news sources, local man Eric Schweig saw Curtis laying on the ground around 9 a.m. Schweig left the neighbourhood and returned at about 4 p.m. to find Curtis was still there - and by then, he was twitching and convulsing.

"His skin was like a furnace," Schweig told CTV News. "He was baking in the sun."

Schweig and Jennifer from the Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice Services Society (VATJSS) put cool, wet blankets on Curtis while they waited for emergency crews. Witnesses say fire crews made racist comments and ambulance crews treated Curtis roughly. Vancouver Firefighters and the B.C. Ambulance Service deny it and they are launching reviews of what happened. Curtis was taken to hospital and pronounced dead around midnight.

Some people believe Curtis was treated with less care because he is Aboriginal. And of course we have to ask how Curtis ended up in that situation in the first place. What kinds of systemic racism led Curtis down a path of life that ended in the park that day?

The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs is calling for a coroners inquest and the Indigenous Action Movement held a memorial rally at Grandview Park on Aug. 19.

"My brother wasn't a piece of garbage you just walk by on the street," Brick's sister Karen Bullshields said, reports News 1130 online. "My brother was a family man, he was a hard worker. He fell on hard times as so many people do."

Christine Smith-Parnell is the executive director of VATJSS and she published a press release on the death of Curtis.

Smith-Parnell said at the rally: "We're grateful that the aboriginal community would stand up in the park and say that's not acceptable that one of their own would sit and die in a very busy park and nobody would do nothing." (reports ctv.ca)

The Georgia Strait published photos of the memorial. Seeing the photos confirmed it was the man I knew from Commercial Drive.

Why did so many people walk past Curtis laying on the ground? Was it racism? Or was it the fact that many people in Vancouver have grown accustomed to seeing people sleeping outside? (And how we can grow accustomed to that is a whole other story...)

Veteran journalist Gary Mason tackled this question in his Globe and Mail editorial "Uproar over homeless man's death is hypocritical."

Mason points out that people ignored Curtis while he was alive. Only now, after his death, are we showing concern for him. "Before, he was someone we stepped over on the way to work."

Mason gives his opinion on why people ignored Curtis - and I've heard a few other people with this view: "There are homeless people sleeping in parks all over the city. How do we know any of them are dead or alive? How do we know they aren't dying before us? Are we to call 911 every time we see a homeless person sleeping on a bench?"

"How was anyone supposed to know Mr. Brick had been lying in the park for six hours or longer? People in that park that day came and went. I doubt any of the parents using the water park were there for more than 30 minutes. They had no idea how long the man seemingly asleep on the grass had been there... how is the average person supposed to tell the difference between someone sleeping it off and someone quietly dying?"

I agree with Gary Mason that it can be really hard to tell if someone is "just sleeping" or in distress. Is there more we can do to recognize when to call for help? What can we look for? What should we do? Who should we call? And what can we do to stop such a tragedy from happening again?

I think people ignored Curtis simply because they didn't realize he needed help. But whatever the reason, it's too late for Curtis, who was only 46.

Rest in Peace Curtis. Condolences to your family, friends, and community. xoxo

Denise / Pygmy hosts the "We Survived" Punk Rock Reunion Party

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:49:00 +0000

“We absolutely could not have done it without Facebook,” says Denise Fantinato, also known in the Vancouver punk scene as Pygmy Paisley. "It was a way to connect with everyone."

On Saturday, August 8, 2009, Denise and her husband Alessandro opened their East Vancouver home to more than 100 people from Vancouver’s late 70s and 80s punk scene. Plans for this epic reunion party started in June when Denise reconnected on Facebook with Kiva Lane, a former Vancouver punk now living in Portland, Oregon.

"Kiva and I were talking on the phone and I asked her: 'Do you ever get up to Vancouver?' and she said: 'Yes I come up every summer,'" Denise explains. "I said: 'Let's get together and do something' and Kiva said: 'Yes! We'll have a reunion' - and we meant just a few people."

But, thanks to Facebook, the party grew... and grew... and grew! At first, Denise and Kiva shared the idea with old friends Dianne Reyes, Judy Insall, and Coco Moon, and together the group started a guest list. Kiva posted a private Facebook event to get more folks on board: The "We Survived" Punk Rock Reunion Party - with an invite that reads: "If you're Alive, then you Survived, and friendships of old should be Revived!"

Guests confirmed their attendance via the Facebook invite, announced what they would bring to the potluck, and volunteered for tasks to keep the party running smoothly. When guests thought of others to invite, they told the new invitees to friend one of the hosts on Facebook so they could be added to the growing guest list. This level of organization is quite a contrast to the parties of yesteryear - when people ran around at the end of a punk gig yelling: "Party at Pygmy's!!!"

Sadly, Kiva and her family were turned away at the Canadian border because they did not have the right paperwork. Denise announced this disappointing news via Facebook, and a flurry of upset wall posts appeared in response. However, Kiva responded with grace and acceptance on her Facebook page - noting there will be more opportunities to reconnect in the future.

On the big day, people arrived with their casseroles, salads, veggie trays, and bags of chips. Many - including me - brought our kids. My son Toby wore my old Kill City t-shirt Ron Reyes gave me in 1983. After the party, Ron did something he had been avoiding for a long time: he actually joined Facebook! "Here's a big fat good bye anonymity!" he wrote. I was very touched by his comment on the photo I posted: "this little guy made my night with his Kill City T Shirt. I screen-printed that shirt about a quarter century ago in my little studio @ 311 Hastings street. Susan kept it clean all these years I was soooooooo impressed and moved."

Throughout the night, gasps of shock and delight blasted through the party as guests spotted each other for the first time in 25 years. The din of conversation and laughter rose above any party I've attended in recent memory. "Remember when so-and-so did blah-blah-blah! Ahhhhhh!"

We enjoyed music by Jonny Swenson and the Vice Kings, The Manglers, and Theda Baras - with lots of jamming and guest spots by Vancouver musicians including (in no particular order) Randy Rampage, Ron Reyes, Brian Goble, Randy Bowman, Simon and Phil Addington, Jen Wold, Doug (Donut) Proulx, Zippy Pinhead, Stevo Knauff, Nadja Feutlinske, Gerry-Jenn Wilson, Mark Godfrey, James Mark, and more. No doubt I am missing people, so please leave a comment and tell me who I left out. Photographer Bev Davies was there, camera in hand. Incidentally, you can see Bev's exhibit of concert photography from the past 30 years at Chapel Arts (304 Dunlevy Ave. Vancouver, BC) til Aug. 16.

Some people compared the party to a high school reunion, but others said it was more like a family get-together. Back in the late 70s and 80s, many of the younger punks came from dysfunctional homes, so they joined together at gigs and parties in a group that felt like family. In my case, I was lucky enough to come from a stable, middle-class family - but, like many others in the punk scene, I felt like a misfit within my group of peers at school. I hooked up with this crowd after transferring to Ideal School in 1983 when I was in Grade 10. This alternative program was for kids who were strong in academics but looking for an escape from the oppressive atmosphere of the conventional high school.

So many of my former Ideal School classmates were at the reunion - like Jim Sigmund and Maria Turner, in this photo on the left, with Randy Rampage in the background. Back in the 80s, we hung out with students from other alternative schools - Total Ed and City School - and went to see bands at all-ages shows and parties.

For many of us, we made it to adulthood relatively unscathed, aside from a bit of under-aged drinking and risky dabbling. Some of us went to university, others went into the trades. Some had kids, started businesses, wrote books, travelled the world, played in rock bands, and did all kinds of things during the past two decades before we met again.

Many others died.

DOA's Randy Rampage stood on the back yard stage and proposed a moment of silence for everyone who did not survive. Most of the missing folks (RIP) were lost to drug overdoses, and I overheard a few groups of people trying to count how many had died. Someone counted 15, and another counted 26, but I don't think anyone reached a conclusive number. This tragic fact of life - and death - reminds us why it was called: The "We Survived" Punk Rock Reunion Party.

Denise guessed that about half the party was in recovery from addiction - hence a lot of pop was consumed alongside the beer and wine! One guest (rumoured to be dead) announced his one-year cake that was "18 years in the making" after he survived a battle with heroin for most of his adult life. He was referring to a tradition within Narcotics Anonymous in which recovered addicts have a birthday-ish celebration - complete with a cake - to recognize the number of years they have been living drug-free.

Thanks to Judy Scully for creating a Facebook group - Vancouver punk rock reunion 2009. As of this blog post, the group has 62 members who posted more than 200 photos of the party. Many, many thanks again to Denise and Alessandro for getting the ball rolling and hosting this huge event! Check out their cool business: SeeSpotRun Canine Services.

I've heard some whisperings about making it an annual event... Any volunteers for next year? ;-)

PD's SkullSkates.com website sells gear worldwide

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:07:00 +0000

PD opened his first skate shop - PD's Hot Shop - in Nanaimo in 1976. And it was the man himself behind the counter yesterday when my son Toby and I walked into his shop on West Fourth Avenue at McDonald in Vancouver, BC, Canada. PD was kind enough to let me take his picture and ask him a few questions, while my son oo-ed and ah-ed. Here's the conversation - "Q & A" style...

SM: So when did you open the first PD's Hot Shop?

PD: PD's Hot Shop started in 1976 and Skull Skates started in 1978.

SM: And where was the original shop?

PD: The original one was in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island. Then the next one was in Vancouver, under the Oak Street Bridge on Marine Drive and then following that was Oak and 67th.

Oak and 67th is the one most people know us for because, by that time, we had become quite established and very early on we were selling a lot of skateboards and even the very first snowboards and the first bmx bikes. A lot of that stuff all happened out of the Oak & 67th location."

SM: Where are your shops now?

PD: Really it's just this shop in Kits - at 4th and McDonald - and our other shop in Japan. But we do sell to a lot of other shops - 80 to 100 other independent skate shops in Canada and a few other independent shops sprinkled around the globe.

We just signed a deal to have distribution start again in the U.S. We were located the US in the 80s for a while, but we haven't had our product distributed there for about 15 years.

Part of our approach is that we want to keep things very limited. We've seen a lot of skateboard brands come and blow up and be really big and then people get sick of them pretty quick. I want to do this for the rest of my life, so I want to do it on a more limited scale.

We also sell off our website skullskates.com and off that we do mail order all over the world. It's actually quite interesting to see. We've shipped skimboards to the United Arab Emirate and our limited edition cruiser bikes to Sweden. It's neat from that point of view - having that connection on the Web because even though we're a small company, it gives us a really international base to work from.

SM: Someone just called and wanted to work here. A lot of people want to work here - but, as you said, it's not all fun, right?

PD: It's a lot of fun. It's skateboards - so when you think about skateboarding, fun is obviously one of the first things that comes to mind. As far as this shop is concerned, I think we've got a pretty good reputation at this point and part of that comes from our dedication to details. When it comes down to it, the difference between a sort of okay skateboard and a really good one lies within the details.

The kind of products we carry - for example, skateboard parts - come in a very wide variety. Each type of wheel, truck, bearing, deck, accessory are all designed for specific use and performance. It's really important that we, as a shop, know what those uses and performances specifically are and that we're able to impart that knowledge to our fellow skateboarders and customers. Which sounds like a load of crap I know - but it really is true. We're here to sell stuff and stay in business but we want people to be stoked on skateboarding.

Marty Layne offers tips for homeschooling families

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:07:00 +0000

Author Marty Layne reminded me of something important this past weekend.

The veteran homeschooler and mom of four spoke to parents of kids in home learning programs during her workshop: “Celebrating the Joys and Challenges of Home Schooling” at the SelfDesign 25th anniversary celebration in Vancouver on Saturday.

Marty reminded us that our kids are young for only a short time in our lives. It’s important to cherish this time while we can because “they grow up so fast” as the cliché goes. Those of us who find a way to learn from home with our children – even part time – will have more time to enjoy this fleeting experience of childhood.

Marty showed slides of her family learning at home and outside – playing on the shores of Vancouver Island, creating block kingdoms in the living room, and building castles in the sand delivered to the bottom of the driveway in a dump truck. All four kids did home-based learning and now, as adults, they each followed careers in the arts – including a dancer, a harp player, a percussionist, and a visual artist. Marty was a preschool teacher before she had her own kids and says she has always been passionte about kids’ learning.

In 1998, Marty wrote: Learning At Home: A Mother's Guide To Homeschooling and in 2008, she released a second edition. In addition to her workshops, she also offers a phone-based coaching service for homeschooling parents – along with some extremely cute pieces of art: little fluffy birds, squirrels, and other animals made in needlefelting (a great homelearning project!)

Here are some examples from Marty of things parents have done as a result of learning at home with their children:

Started a business running a homeschooling conference
Started a business designing fashions
Started a publishing company
Written books
Published magazines
Gone on to university or college to pursue another career.

Tutor Erin brings math down to Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:33:00 +0000

Erin Riopel is a math tutor who is very intrigued with her subject.

“I almost feel bad charging people money because I enjoy it so much,” she says. “I like explaining things that I find interesting. I like teaching things to people, in general.”

Once a week, Erin comes to our house to tutor my eight-year-old son, who has been doing school from home since January 2009 with SelfDesign - an online independent school program funded by the B.C. Ministry of Education. Erin also tutors a Grade 9 SelfDesign student online using Skype voice chat and Scriblink, a free digital whiteboard that users can share online in real-time. (It’s “sorta like pen and paper, minus the dead trees, plastic, and the inconvenience of being at the same place at the same time,” says the Scriblink website.)

Erin says she has always liked math as a subject in school – but it wasn’t until Grade 10 that she started to see how interesting it was.

“In the early grades, I liked math because I found it really easy but I didn’t really see how it applied to real life. I found it the easiest thing to do because it’s fairly black and white and objective. You can just get the right answer and you don’t have to worry about it,” she says. “In Grade 10, I had a math teacher who told us about other things we weren’t doing yet, like imaginary numbers.”

In Grade 11, Erin gave birth to her first child – a much-loved baby girl who is now 10 years old. She completed high school while living with her parents and attending a program for young moms, sponsored by the Elizabeth Fry Society at Duchess Park Secondary in Prince George. She graduated “on time and with honours” before moving to Vancouver to study math and sciences at the University of B.C. At the end of her first year, she had a second baby – a much-loved son who recently turned 7.

The hard-working single mom continued her studies at UBC til her kids were 2 and 5 – and since then, she’s been “taking a break” from formal studies and working with her kids who are also in SelfDesign. Erin plans to finish a science degree eventually, and in the meantime, she is studying math on her own. She often buys second-hand elementary and high school texts from Value Village and checks out the various approaches to explaining math.

“I don’t like most of them,” Erin says, referring to how the text books often fail to explain simple concepts in ways that kids will understand. “You have to start with the concept and then show them examples of how it works. Most of the books don’t give any help or guidance on the concept. They just try to move straight into the formulas without any context. It took thousands of years to discover what we know about math. You can’t just give kids the problem and expect them to come up with concepts.”

Erin says she likes to explain math to her adult friends, but it doesn’t always work out…

“Some of them can’t listen, partly because of how math was taught in school. They’re convinced they don’t understand math, and as soon as I start talking about it, they just glaze over and don’t listen at all so I don’t torture them and make them listen,” she says, laughing.

Erin is accepting new students – so drop me a line if you are interested.

Charles cooks classic Commercial Drive cuisine at Cafe Deux Soleils

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 02 May 2009 00:12:00 +0000

Charles has been cooking at Cafe Deux Soleils on Commercial Drive in East Vancouver, B.C., Canada for the past three years - ever since he moved to Vancouver. Today he did an especially good job on my favorite item because he used the perfect amount of sauce and cooked all the ingredients to the exact level of texture I like. The tofu was lightly browned the perfect amount, adding a slight crispness. Generous amount of sauce, perfect texture, excellent!

Tofu scram. It's the one thing I always order at Deux Soleils. I never get anything different. Chunks of fluffy tofu, sweet peppers, and onions marinated in a garlic-ginger sauce. I order mine with no mushrooms - but for the many people who like mushrooms, I'm sure this would be a tasty addition. Prices are very reasonable at this excellent vegetarian restaurant that has been a Commercial Drive fixture for many years.

Cafe Deux Soleils is my favorite breakfast spot on Commercial Drive. My son, now 8, likes to order a side of "marble toast" with garlic butter and a side of vegi sausages. With a lot of wide open space and a very laid-back atmosphere, it's a great place to bring kids. You order your food and pay at the counter, grab your own cutlery, find a table, and wait for the staff to bring your food. If it's busy, listen up: they may be calling out to you.

By day, toddlers and preschoolers play with kitchen toys and draw pictures on a big black board on a stage. By night, this stage is home to live music and poetry slam events. The Cafe has a licence for beer - popular at these evening events - and they have nice choices on tap. It's not uncommon to see folks enjoying a mellow, afternoon beer with friends. Line-ups can be long on the weekend and it gets really crowded, but if I get a craving for tofu scram (or feel like meeting up for breakfast with friends) I will gladly wait in line - and eavesdrop on other people's conversations. It's definitely worth the wait, so don't let the line-up scare you away.

Volunteer Jessie Martin savours slow food

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:19:00 +0000

Slow food is the opposite of what you get at a fast food drive-through.

Why does Jessie advocate for slow food?

"It's healthier and we are more in touch with where our food is coming from," says Jessie, who cooked at The Reef on Main St for four years. Now she has left behind the hectic life of professional food preparation and is studying to become a veterinary assistant, but she still enjoys cooking on her own time - no doubt more slowly and peacefully than at work!

Jessie signed up participants at Britannia Community Centre today for the 2nd Annual Bike the Blossoms cycle tour organized by Slow Food Vancouver, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, and the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition.

"This self-guided tour is fun for the whole family!" reads the Slow Food Vancouver website. "Enjoy a leisurely ride along boulevards of spring cherry blossoms, traveling through a diversity of neighbourhoods from the eastside to the westside, stopping at local community centres to meet local farmers, to sample local foods and refuel at slow food designated eateries, restaurants and cafes along the way."

Slow Food Vancouver is part of the International Slow Food Movement that has more than 80,000 members in 100 countries. Members get together (often at potluck dinners) to share their love of local flavours, traditions, and foods grown and created by local farmers and artisans.

The Commercial Drive Business Society partnered with Slow Food Vancouver to offer Slow Taste of the Drive to increase the level of engagement between local farmers and city folk. Selected eateries and restaurants on Commercial Drive offered a Slow Taste of their foods that fit the slow food criteria: good, clean, and fair.

Jolene shares the power of yoga at Exhale

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:42:00 +0000

“I love the joy of yoga and I want to share that with people. It’s a service,” says Jolene Bayda, 31. “For those few hours in the day I teach, it’s not about me. I just want people to feel that power of yoga.”

Jolene has been a yoga teacher for four years and she says (half-jokingly) that she started yoga on the day she was born, when she took her first breath. Here are the classes she teaches at Exhale in downtown Vancouver, B.C., Canada:

Candle Light Yoga class on Tuesday at 8:30pm
Hatha Yoga Classes on Thursdays at 10am, Fridays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 10:30am
Candle Light Yin Yoga class on Sundays at 8pm

Exhale offers a great deal for beginners, which I took full advantage of: $24 for one week of unlimited classes. Jolene was my teacher for two of the classes and I also did classes on Monday and Wednesday night with Dan.

In the past, my version of exercise was jogging and lifting weights at the gym - but in recent years, I've been really put off by the gym atmosphere. The smell of sweat, weights clanging, tough guys grunting... Now, as a contrast, the yoga class seems so peaceful and gentle, and it also offers a great workout. I've tried yoga a few times, with some very devoted teachers, but I've never really enjoyed it this much. In fact, I'm kind of surprised by my own enjoyment of it. Am I being whimsical and enjoying the novelty of something new? Or is this the start of something I will cherish for years to come? Time will tell...

In the meantime, thanks to Jolene, Dan, and Exhale. My experiences in the studio have helped me through a stressful week - and I am eternally grateful.

80 percent first-timers at Vancouver Net Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:31:00 +0000

Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega was one of six presenters who shared their ideas on technology and social change at Vancouver Net Tuesdays tonight at WorkSpace in Gastown.

Raul, who has a PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Studies, is the organizer of the Vancouver Bloggers Meetup. Tonight's Event - Net Tuesday - is organized by social media consultant Joe Solomon announced on Meetup as: "Social Media and Web Innovators come together with Social Change Makers and Nonprofits to mix, swap stories and ideas, and build new relationships."

Famous Vancouver blogger Darren Barefoot MC-ed the event and he asked for a show of hands: "Who is here for the first time?" About 80 percent of us in the crowded room put up our hands.

Doug van Spronsen told us about MakeGood.com. Info from their website: "MakeGood helps your company communicate the good things you do through an interactive badge that you place on your website. Customers and employees can click on the badge and see photos, stories and testimonials from the people you helped - without ever leaving your website."

The badge isn't just a chance for the company to brag; it also links people to opportunities for participating in the company's charities or actions for change.

Grace Carter shared the story of ChipsNotDeadYet.com - a BC Children's Hospital Social Media Case Study. Participants dress up in costumes, run around, have fun. and raise money. Last year 2,500 people participated and raised over $100,000 for Children’s Hospital.

During the presentation, a man ran into the room wearing only underpants! He is a popular race contestant with many fans on the ChipsNotDeadYet Facebook Page.

Shawn Smith spoke about Global Agents for Change - a group of under-30 folks from around the world. This year they are organizing two youth-led cycling journeys raising funds and awareness to fight global poverty. One ride is from Vancouver to Tijuana and the other from Amsterdam to Istanbul.

Steve Williams of SAP Business Objects told us about his work with non-profit organizations - helping them to see how they can use their data and information. This data, if well-managed and mined, can be used for communicating, demonstrating the impact of donations, and engaging stakeholders.

"It's not just about communicating on an issue. It's about "How do you encourage people to take action?"

Joe Solomon mentioned one way of encouraging people to take action during his talk on what's next trend-wise in the world of "social change meets tech." It's the “Related Ways to Take Action” WordPress Plugin that allows your blog readers to take action based on the content in your post.

Favianna talks art, technology, and social change in Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:57:00 +0000

Favianna Rodriguez is a reknowned artist, author, and technologist from Oakland, California – and she was in Vancouver, B.C. Canada last week talking about using art to transform global politics.

Favianna presented a slideshow of her political poster art on March 5 at District 319 Theatre, just down the street from the corner of Main and Hastings in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Favianna’s talk: “Designing for Democracy – Art, Technology, and Community Development” was the first 2009 event hosted by Web of Change. W of C is “a series of conferences that connects the foremost thinkers and do-ers in the growing community of social change and technology from across North America,” says the W of C website About page.

Favianna showed us an assortment of her bold, sometimes colourful, political posters that address the issues of war, gentrification, human rights, racism, corporate irresponsibility, health, and quality of life within communities. Posted high on billboards, Favianna's political art opens public discussion on issues of the day - for example: young men of colour being targeted by military recruiters and people being jailed in the U.S. for not having appropriate residency papers.

“Our role as media makers and activists has become very important,” Favianna told us. “With the right tools and the right strategy, things that seemed impossible can become possible. We can create business models that will affect the entire world.”

Here are some photos of the slides Favianna showed:

In 2002, Favianna launched TUMIS – a bilingual Spanish-English web design company that donates its profit to Oakland’s Eastside Arts Alliance. Since its launch, TUMIS has seen annual growth of 25%, which is good for the Alliance founded by Favianna and other local artists, cultural workers, and community organizers of colour. The Alliance provides local youth and adults with a cultural centre in which they can pursue their own arts projects in a supportive, creative atmosphere.

On March 8, Favianna shared a vision of how Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside could follow the model of Oakland’s Eastside Arts Alliance. "Art, Resistance, and Community Transformation" was presented to the public for free by the annual Sista'hood Celebration at the W2 Launch Pad Gallery at 116 West Hastings Street - co-sponsored by DTES Community Arts Network and Tides Canada-Endswell Fund.

Here, from the W2 Launch Pad Gallery website, is a summary of what Favianna tells the group in Vancouver: “A young woman grows up in this neighbourhood. She and a group of artists start a successful technology and design collective. They launch a business and help establish a non-profit society. They raise the money to buy an old building and rehabilitate it. It houses their company, a bilingual daycare, a cultural centre, and 16 units of low-income housing. Their efforts are bringing social and economic development, music, art, and their community together. It's an incredible transformation.”

In 2004 TUMIS co-sponsored Designs on Democracy, a conference on design and communications. This gathering brought together over 300 organizers and designers to discuss communications in the context of social justice.

Jason Mogus, the Web of Change founder and president of Communicopia, introduced Favianna on March 5. He welcomed guests, talked about Web of Change, and offered a few key questions for us to ponder – and to discuss while mingling in the reception area at the bar after Favianna’s talk…

Jason suggested the social networking folks ask themselves: What kind of world do you want to live in? What’s your theory of change?

To the social change people, he asked: How are you involving people? How are you using technology?

To everyone, he asked: How can you build a community and sense of connectedness in your work? How are you growing your heart?

Jason offered praise to local firms who are dedicating their efforts to social change – and one example he mentioned is Agentic Communications – a local web development agency that offers web strategy, campaign consulting, and website development for progressive organizations, like non-profits and government agencies (and other companies too). I’ve been writing web content for Agentic recently – so you can look forward to a future Super Citizen feature soon about that company’s work towards social change…

Tim McAlpine keynote on "challenge marketing" at BCAIM luncheon

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Tim is a Gen X-er whose dad worked in banking, and he is an expert on reaching Generation Y (under 25s) and convincing them to become credit union members. Demographic forecasting showed the importance of winning a younger market and it made sense for the credit unions to reach out using social media. In Alberta, 2,300 Generation Y "kids" (I can say that because I'm 41) signed up to become credit union members and deposited $4 million Canadian.

Tim is the president and creative director of Currency Marketing and yesterday he presented an overview of his Young & Free story as keynote speaker at British Columbia Association of Integrated Marketers luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Here is a link to Tim's presentation.

The company's first campaign Young & Free Alberta, for Common Wealth Credit Union in Lloydminster, won a 2008 Groundswell Award in recognition of social media with business value.

Here's how the awards team described Young & Free Alberta: "A credit union in Alberta started a campaign to generate more young customers. They conducted a contest to find a young spokesperson, who then used a blog, YouTube, and Facebook to connect with other young people in Alberta. Result: 2 million impressions, 2,300 new accounts, and $4 million Canadian in new deposits."

Each spokesperson - one preferred the term "spokester" - agrees to produce five blog postings and one video posting per week. Tim said they aim for 60 percent funny and 40 percent money. Check out the blog of Miles - the new Alberta spokesperson. Quite honestly I would have participated in this type of discussion when I was in my early 20s - but back then, 20 years ago, there was no internet as we know it today... alas part of the Gen X experience...

Currency is also running challenge marketing campaigns in Texas and South Carolina. Hundreds of entrants submit one-minute videos explaining why they want to be the Young & Free spokesperson. Tim showed several samples and they were funny, charming, creative - and prolific!

"All this creativity is going on outside the walls of the agency. It means there's no more heat on us to come up with creative ideas," says Tim, with a laugh. "All this stuff is just coming in by the dozens each day. We encourage our applicants to go nuts."

Tim says Currency's goal is to partner with one credit union in every province and state in North America. As a long-time member of Vancity Credit Union, I'm glad to see all this great effort to promote our cooperative, community-based financial institutions and I hope all the young people have a chance to learn about and make good choices re: money matters.

Heather Merry revs up Ragged Right blog for IABC BC

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Heather and I are taking the helm of a new volunteer position at the BC Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. We are now co-piloting in the role of Blog Editor / Monitor for Ragged Right - and our goal is to keep the blog chugging along with at least one new entry per week.

Heather is an Investor Relations Specialist at Westport Innovations and she runs her own contracting business eye 4 communications - offering writing, editing, and proofing services. She and I kicked off our lively brainstorming session on Monday at The Belmondo Cafe in North Vancouver. We bounced ideas around, drafted an editorial calendar, and now we are turning to our fellow IABC members to solicit volunteer bloggers. What better way to get your feet wet in the blogosphere, if you haven't done so already?

We aren't asking our volunteer bloggers to cover all aspects of an issue or event; instead we want to open up topics for discussion and encourage others to share thoughts and ideas. We could even debate and argue! Heather and I have "story assignments" for volunteers and we are also hoping people will come forth with their own ideas.

Here is our job description: "The volunteer will be responsible for creating an editorial calendar, selecting Members to make the posts on the calendar and following up with managing the submission of posts, editing them for spelling and grammar (without changing the "voice" of the submission) and posting these. He/she will also manage and post any additional postings that come in from membership, aside from the editorial calendar.

"In addition, members' comments will need to be monitored for compliance with site policies."

Partnering in a volunteer position is a good solution for avoiding the over-commitment trap many of us fall into. My partnership with Heather came about thanks to Catherine Worrall, the B.C. Chapter's Director of Marketing Communications and principal of Ideastream Design Inc. Both Heather and I expressed interest in the volunteer position but wanted to make sure we were comfortable with the time commitment. Sharing the role is a great option for us - so thanks to Catherine for the thoughtful delegating!

Heather and I need volunteer bloggers to cover every Chapter event - including an event coming up on March 10 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the YWCA downtown: "A Case Study of Award Winners."

Here's the invite info for the above: "Join IABC/BC professionals who have won and judged Bronze Quill, Silver Leaf and Gold Quill Awards. You'll learn tips on how to create award-winning communications projects and entries." If you can't go in person, you can attend via webcast.

We need volunteers now - so please get in touch by leaving a comment on this blog.

Never say you can’t dance, Fana tells the children

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:59:00 +0000

Master drummer and balafon player Fana Soro had enough authentic African drums for everyone who wanted to play one.

Fana's only rule was that no one was allowed to look sad while they were drumming because if they did, he would have to take their drum away. He said if you are feeling sad, you can be happy again if you let yourself feel the energy of the drumming.

It was quite literally a “hands-on” demonstration! Indeed many, many hands were on the drums at the ArtStarts Gallery today at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in downtown Vancouver, B.C. Canada. A few dozen kids and parents sat in a circle and learned some basic rhythms and songs that Fana brings from his original home in Ivory Coast.

Fana told us Africa has only two seasons: rainy and dry. When the rainy season starts, it’s time to plant food.

“If you just sit at home, there will be no food for you next year,” he said. “There is no Safeway and no Costco.”

Fana shared a traditional song in his language, with these words: “There is rain today. Let’s celebrate! Tomorrow we’re going to work hard.”

As everyone sang along, Fana invited a tiny girl to dance with him in the centre of the circle. As a shy dancer, I really admired her courage as she jumped up and waggled her thin little arms and legs and sang and danced with Fana. Then Fana turned to a “tween”-aged boy who joined him with a smile. A few people were too shy to join him and he said: “Never say you can’t dance or your body will believe you.”

Fana said we should dance whenever there is music playing – and try to spend our time with happy people.

Many thanks to Fana for sharing so much cheer!

Two more sessions remain in the Saturday ArtStarts program:

Bhangra Music and Dance
Saturday, March 28 at 11 am & 1 pm
Learn the dance form that has energized audiences across the world with its hard-hitting beats with South Asian Arts. This dynamic duo will get young people and their parents dancing in a fun and interactive atmosphere.

Stringing Them Along!
Saturday, April 25 at 11 am & 1 pm
Have you ever seen a string dog and turtle climb a string Eiffel Tower and fly away on a string bird? Storyteller Anne Glover gives you a fistful of string tricks and a new respect for your shoelaces. No dexterity required! "All-thumbs" welcome!

A tour of WordPress from Miss 604

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:48:00 +0000

Many thanks to Rebecca Bollwitt for taking the time to meet with me today at Waves for a quick run-through of WordPress.

Rebecca's company, sixty4media, is going to set up and install WordPress for me - and then I'm going to use it as a content management system for everything on my current site at: www.mainwriter.com. It's good to know sixty4media offers tutorial services, just in case... I really like how the company is willing to "do it for you" and, if you want to learn, they will also show you how to do it. That is so cool and empowering!

Rebecca, who blogs at Miss 604, organized Vancouver Twestival on February 12, which raised more than $4000 for clean-water projects in developing countries. She says she expected about 100 people to attend the event at the Opus Hotel in downtown Vancouver, but twice as many showed up. Vancouver was one of 202 cities around the world to have such a fundraiser. According to the Twestival website, participants raised $250,000 as of February 18 for charity:water. This amount of money is enough for 55 water projects in Ethiopia, Uganda and India - clean water for just over 17,000 people.

Gus Fosarolli and Deborah Jang talk Social Media 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 07:13:00 +0000

Many thanks to MarketWire for hosting a talk on social media press release product: Social Media 2.0 for the marketing communications committee of IABC's BC Chapter on Feb. 17 in downtown Vancouver, BC, Canada. IABC BC is going to use Marketwire's social media newsroom to update members on events and opportunities, market to potential new members, and raise the profile of our industry and its award-winning communicators.

Picture the social media press release as one of many tools in a press kit.

"It won't replace the traditional press release," Gus told us. "It's just an added component... but the trend is that everything's going online."

The SMPR is a single web page with the press release headline, core news facts in bulleted form, links to other press releases, stories about the organization in the news, embedded video on YouTube, podcasts, photos, the organization exec's LinkedIn profile, and many other choices for connecting. Not all press releases are suitable for this format - depends on the audience, your story, your goal. Social Media 2.0 uses a template into which clients enter their own... stuff (for lack of a better word!)

"It's bypassing the media and going directly to your stakeholders," says Gus, adding that SMPRs are as short as possible, using minimal words, written in a blog style. "Make it a conversation, but lose the 'spin'... and make sure it is easily shared."

If you are curious to find out more, Marketwire is holding a free webinar: "LEARN THE "SECRETS" OF OPTIMIZED PRESS RELEASES" on Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 10 to 11 a.m. PST.

The invite reads: "If you are looking for visibility in the search engines – and who isn’t – understanding optimized press releases and social media press releases is a must. An optimized press release, when written using relevant keywords, may get you page-one results in search engines."

Marketwire also offers a four-part webinar series starting in March featuring local social media experts : "Each 90-minute session builds upon the previous one to help you create a complete, actionable social media plan that will measurably boost your organization's ROI."

Technorati tags

social media press release
IABC
Marketwire
Web 2.0
Vancouver
webinar

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:35:00 +0000

Free barf bags for viewers at Sick and Twisted Festival

Alex hands out Sick and Twisted leaflets on the corner of 12th Avenue and Commercial Drive in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Just down the street, Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation 2009 will be opening at its new location on Friday Feb 20: the RIO Theatre at 1660 East Broadway (at Commercial) in Vancouver, BC, Canada running to Thursday March 5, with midnight shows on opening weekend: Feb. 20 and 21.

Alex's leaflet promises: "Bar Service for late shows opening weekend! FREE barf bags! ... For the first time in 10 years, Spike himself will be present for the opening weekend in Vancouver... he invites everyone to watch 90 minutes of the sickest, most brilliant, artistic and funniest animation shorts he's ever put together."

Alex said I could get in touch with him through the Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation Facebook Group. As he walked away, quite busy with his cel phone, he added: "the real one!" So I checked and found a few Facebook groups - and now I'm not sure which one is the actual real one - so if you know, please do tell me.

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:33:00 +0000

Why and how is VANOC protecting the Olympic brand?

The answer to this question is very very complicated - but Bill Cooper, Director, Commercial Rights Management for VANOC took on the challenge at today's IABC/BC - Vancouver Sun Speaker Series lunch event at Steamworks Brewing Company Uber Lounge in gastown, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Bill explained that VANOC is charged with the responsibility of protecting the Olympics brand in Canada as a provision for having the games here - responsible to the International Olympic Committee. The Canadian government enacted new legislation, The Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act, to back up this responsibility.

Only certain groups are allowed to use the Olympic brand, including: official 2010 winter games merchandise companies; authentic ticket sellers (no resellers); official sponsors, licencees, and government partners with "exclusive rights to access the marks, images, and stories that make the Olympic and Paralympic Brand a sought-after marketing tool." VANOC's approach is (to quote from their booklet "Real 2010: Protecting the Brand"): "to educate the marketplace on how to appropriately align with the 2010 Winter Games while respecting the exclusive commercial rights of the marketing partners."

VANOC is monitoring the media, including online sites which are easily swept and filtered, and investigating infringements on the brand. VANOC considers six factors when investigating a potential case of unfair use of the brand. Much much more information from VANOC on protecting the Olympic brand is at the official Vancouver 2010 website.

"We're not just being some grumpy brand protection person sitting in a cubicle being grumpy," Bill said with a laugh, as he explained how he and his team assess each case using criteria that quantifies their "concern level" with the infringement. He said 95 percent of brand infringements are resolved through voluntary compliance. "Despite some of the headlines and fear-mongering, we're not in court."

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:32:00 +0000

Valentines Massacre at the Anza Club

Last night in Vancouver, BC, Canada at the Anza Club - two days before V-Day - a host of local legends got on stage to cover songs by The Sex Pistols, the Stranglers, Husker Du, and Frank Zappa. The Next Pistols, The Manglers, the Huskee Dudes, and Slowpoke and the Jets excited the crowd with classics from the aforementioned bands.

In the photo above, is the trio usually known as Slowpoke and the Smoke - but at the Anza last night they were called Slowpoke and the Jets and they had an an excellent sax player with them. From left: Tony Twilight, Bradford Attitude, and Eric Napalm.

Manglers front man Doug Donut, formerly from Death Sentence (a band my pals and I loved seeing back in the 80s), did an especially excellent and lecherous-sounding version of "Peaches." In fact, he brought a sort of hilarious extra-raunchiness to the music, which was a bit more sped-up and harsh than the original. The Manglers' Stranglers "stick in your head" bass sound was brought to us by Phil Addington, who has been playing music in Vancouver for so many years and who also owns Bone Rattle Music on Commercial Drive. He and his staff are so nice to my little son who loves his store full of cool guitars (and they tolerate my son's outbursts of disappointment when I drag the little fella kicking and screaming out of the store when it's finally time to leave!)

It was interesting to see so much recording at the show. There must have been at least six people with video cameras on tripods and 15 people using cameras. I thought I saw local photographer Bev Davies walking around looking for good angles or subjects (or whatever really good photographers look for!)