The Waldorf Hotel x Grand Opening x Halloween Party

The Waldorf Hotel's grand opening Halloween party on East Hastings in Grandview-Woodland on October 30, 2010.



My friends and I arrived early to the Waldorf because we knew the place was going to be packed due to the 4200 attending and 1900 maybe RSVPs on Facebook, the constant ads on The Peak, the full on feature in the Vancouver Sun, and the many posters plastered downtown advertising the free event.

Review: Living with 'The Walking Dead'

AMC, despite their relative novice status in scripted dramatic television, has an incredible track record thus far with its first two Emmy-winning shows, Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Unlike those shows, The Walking Dead is hotly anticipated and hyped ahead of its world premiere this Sunday on Halloween.

MySpace: The Abandoned Mall

MySpace has not been relevant in years. Nobody seems to use the social network with any kind of frequency except for maybe bands and adult film stars. On the heels of the new Twitter roll out, Myspace (or "My_____") is launching its own redesign in a desperate grab for new users as they reposition themselves as a Generation Y oriented "social entertainment" network

Radio: I Punk Christine Tam Live on Air

I was on the late shift this week at Evolution 107.9 FM, BCIT's campus radio station in Burnaby. I like to keep the newsroom loose with jokes and fun as we can get a little weary. The last couple weeks, I  have messed with the lovely Christine Tam's news headlines scripts live as she's reading them on air. I usually insert the word "sexy" in random places or make little tweaks that are hard to notice.

Yesterday, I pulled another one on Christine live on the radio. It was her own fault for saying she missed my pranks but, as always, she was a good sport about it and we all had a good laugh (at her expense) afterward.

New Music: 'Be Kept' with Beekeeper

"Our music blends together infectious hooks, stunning male/female harmonies, and unsettling math-rock dissonance."

Beekeeper is an indie pop band from Vancouver consisting of Devon Lougheed, Luke Cyca, Tegan Ceschi-Smith, and various musical guests. Be Kept serves as furiously energetic string of enthusiastic rock tracks with pop hooks. The record is an interesting blend and mixture of diverse songs, but Beekeeper is at its best when they stick to their notable brand of high tempo beats stringed together with unconventional pacing. The high energy carries the lyrics and music through the album well.

Radio: Anonymous Photography Collaboration Project

The Langley Fine Arts School is embarking on an Anonymous Photography Collaboration Project featuring blind double exposed photographs to encourage more diverse perspectives between artists across the world. (0:51)

Photo | APCP

Dinner x Prime Rib x Keg Steakhouse x Richmond

Dinner at the Keg Steakhouse in Richmond on October 2, 2010.



I have always had a soft spot for the Keg. I like their vibe and steakhouse style basic food. I always leave full and usually satisfied. Back at my HSBC days, I would regularly go down the street and head to the Thurlow location downtown for lunch.

Radio: Justin Bieber's Laser Tag Shenanigans

Rumours of an alleged assault involving Canadian teen pop music sensation Justin Bieber while playing laser tag in Richmond last Friday have made big headlines. Reporter Christine Tam fills you in on the very latest developments. (1:54)

Source | BCIT News / Mark Wilkinson

Review: 'Let Me In' – Remaking 'The Right One'

Let Me In is a very well-made film and worthy adaptation. However, comparisons to the original 2008 Swedish film, Let the Right One In, and the novel of which it is based are inevitable. Writer/director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) takes on the challenge of redefining the child vampire story for American audiences. He is to be commended for his total control of the material. The gentle touches and Reagan era setting fit the themes to isolation, loneliness, and abuse very well.

Dinner x Fatty Cow Seafood Hot Pot x Victoria Drive

YVR Soul Food Tweetup #4 at Fatty Cow Seafood Hot Pot on Victoria Drive on Octobober 14, 2010.



It was time for another YVR Soul Food Tweetup with Sheila and Kemp Edmonds, Colene, Nicolb, Vanessa Chu, Ryan Cleven, and Nick Routley. This time around we went for hot pot at Fatty Cow. It was very good.

New Music: Civil Twilight, Elias, Jesse Labelle & Alyssa Reid

Civil Twilight, Elias, Jesse Labelle, and Alyssa Reid are all musical artists and pop/rock acts from Wax Records based in Toronto.

Civil Twilight's self-titled record is a intriguing mix of deep alternative tracks. The South African band of misfits weave a consistent sound throughout the album. Themes of loneliness and ghost imagery haunt every song with an interesting through line. Slowly, the band reveals more and more as the album is layered with eclectic songs about loss.

Concert: Broken Social Scene x Commodore Ballroom

Broken Social Scene featuring Sebastien Grainger with The Sea and the Cake live in concert at the Commodore Ballroom on October 13, 2010.

UBC Career Services: 5 Tips On Social Media for Students

Read my guest post for UBC Career Services on how students can use social media for career advancement, networking, and building an online profile.


Photo | Stephen Wu

New Music: Hailey Morgan and 'You & Me'

Hailey Morgan is a 16-year-old Vancouver pop rock singer/songwriter, who just released her debut record. Hailey is clearly a talented young woman. You & Me is far from a refined album, but that's the point. It should not be and it is better for it. The record has a very raw, energetic feel that evokes ideas of musical growing pains and the beginnings of deeper artistic explorations.

Lyrics like "I just want to go and drift away with you" are basic gems of ideas that are yet to be fully formed. Some of the words and lyrics can be obvious at times, but the language works well. Her sound still requires maturity and refinement, but it should. Morgan has room to grow into her sound. She has a very appealing brand of pop rock that is genuine and charming.

Dinner x Golden Great Wall Szechuan Restaurant x Broadway

Dinner at Golden Great Wall Szechuan Restaurant on West Broadway in Fairview Slopes on September 28, 2010.



The Golden Great Wall Szechuan Restaurant is a good, clean, friendly Chinese restaurant on the heart of the West Broadway district near Oak Street. The inside is spacious and bright with a friendly staff and good service.

The Social Medium: Common Mistakes on Social Media

1) Don't be impatient.

Social media and your online presence is a long-term investment. Do not expect to take the world by storm online within a few weeks or months and if you do, it probably will not last. Like anything, you need to build up credibility and a good reputation. People like to see an reputatble accumulation of quality content.

Grant Lawrence x 'Adventures In Solitude' x Book Launch x MOV

Grant Lawrence's Adventures in Solitude book launch with Jill Barber and Said the Whale at the Museum of Vancouver in Kitsilano on October 7, 2010.



I talked before about my admiration and impressions of CBC Radio 3 host Grant Lawrence and working with him. I was honoured when he reminded me to come to his book launch last night, which was a free event, open to the public.

Metropolis Hot Seats x Phoenix Suns vs. Toronto Raptors

NBA Pre-season Game: Phoenix Suns 78, Toronto Raptors 129 at Rogers Arena with Sarah Wong and hosted by Metropolis at Metrotown Hot Seats on October 6, 2010.



I was invited by my old UBC friend, Sarah Wong, to watch the Suns/Raptors NBA pre-season match up last night and cover it as an "up and coming" guest blogger. Sarah is in charge of special events marketing for Metropolis at Metrotown and regularly hosts contest winners at various events held at Rogers Arena.

CBC Radio x North by Northwest x Douglas Coupland x Book Club

CBC Radio's North by Northwest hosted by Sheryl MacKay and the Studio One Book Club with Douglas Coupland reading Player One: What is to Become of Us at CBC Vancouver on October 4, 2010.



I love Douglas Coupland so much. I really do. I believe he is one of Canada's national treasures. He has so many fabulous stories and interesting things to say about on any and all topics.

Radio: UBC and NSERC Encourage Women to Study Engineering

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Chair for Women in Science and Engineering is teaming up with UBC to encourage more young women enter and stay in engineering, technology, and science related career paths. [source] (0:52)

Photo | Stephen Woodrow

Giant Jenga x Guilt and Company x Gastown

Playing Giant Jenga in the backroom of Guilt and Company in Gastown on Oct 2, 2010.



During Minna Van's entrepeneur meetup and birthday celebration with Angela Jung.

Review: Dating and Documenting 'Catfish'

The horribly titled and worse marketed social media documentary, Catfish, is probably the ultimate Facebook movie some expected The Social Network to be. As a documentary, although its aunthenticity has been questioned, it explores the online genesis of a social media based romantic relationship from its beginnings to an unexpected resolution. The doc goes on to reveal so much more about the humanity, or lack thereof, behind the walls we build around online relationships.

Review: Making Friends and Telling Lies – 'The Social Network'

"The internet's not written in pencil. [...] It's written in ink."

The Social Network is a very compelling drama of the finest variety. Master filmmaker David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac) brings his rich visual storytelling and combines it with Aaron Sorkin's (The West Wing, Charlie Wilson's War) incredible rapid-fire dialogue and wit to bring some fascinating societal context to the birth of social media culture to life on the screen. Fincher and Sorkin recreate the storytelling style of Facebook status updates and posts cinematically without ever having to go deeper into the more borings parts of social technology.

Everything I Did at CBC Radio 3

Interviews | Fine Mist / Lakefield / Petroleum By-Product / Southern Souls / Teen Daze

Last Night's Gig | Arcade Fire / Chad VanGaalen and Olio Festival Wrap Up

Podcasts | Guide to Social Media for Music / Track of the Day / Women that Rock

More | Fall Canadian Album Releases / Meet a CBC Radio 3 Intern / Woodhands Mixtape

Photo | CBC Radio 3

CBC Radio 3 x 'Fubar II' x Grant Lawrence

Dean Murdoch and Terry Cahill dropped by CBC Vancouver for interviews with Steven Quinn and Lisa Christiansen. They visited the CBC Radio 3 studios meeting host Grant Lawrence to promote their movie sequel Fubar II on September 29, 2010.