When I say that I’m incredibly busy and that I don’t actually have time for much, I doubt people really realize how busy I am, and I’m pretty sure many of them think to themselves (without telling me) that I’m a snob and that I make myself self-important.
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All 3 of us (Raul, Anabelle and I) headed to Granville Island on Tuesday evening to try out some Pumpkin Ale (#GIBPumpkinAle). Now, I’m not a professional critic and I’ve never taken any sort of tasting course, but I do love craft beer, and I am well-versed in all GIB beers. I hope this review is a helpful guide to others like me, who just love to enjoy good seasonal beer, and apologies if I’m missing the proper beer review methods!
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The theatre season is in full swing and we have yet another great play to suggest (and with a ticket giveaway!). As the title says, this one is all about Vancouver, for the celebration of Vancouver’s 125th anniversary: five local playwrights present their own vision of the city in short pieces in the tradition of Paris, Je t’aime and New York, I love You. Presented by Pi Theatre, a description of Visions of Vancouver:
Who has two thumbs and got a chance to see Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) in Vancouver last night at the Commodore Ballroom? THIS GUY! (*points thumbs to himself*)
Raul!? Did you attend the OMD concert? Why yes, yes I did 🙂
Last night I was one of the lucky attendees of the Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (also well known for their acronym OMD) at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver (huge shout out to the girls at the coat check who saved my night, literally – these girls totally rock, you have no idea). I had never seen OMD live in concert but since my last live concert (also at The Commodore, Chromeo), I have become a bit of an addict to live concerts. And last night was again a good reminder that it was a great idea to decide to cover more live concerts. OMD provided a packed Commodore Ballroom with one of their best experiences.
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Photo Credit: Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell for Atomic Vaudeville
If you knew that you were going to die or had died, but had one last chance to tell the world something, what would that be?
In the case of Atomic Vaudeville’s presentation of Ride the Cyclone, these high school students get a chance to do that thanks to Karnack, an automatic fortune telling machine. A variety of “final words” were shared in song form. Some expressed the deep, dark, and dirty secrets and obsessions of the mind, others tried to justify their lives and actions, and assure that they were being sent to the right gates, and there was also a bit of an identity crisis going on. These youth made up the high school choir that had died on the Cyclone roller-coaster in the town of Uranium, Saskwatchewan.
Basically this comedy-tragedy-musical is the twisted story of young lives in a dead-end town. From beginning to end, the dark humour had the entire audience laughing, and more often than not, cringing. If you love to walk the line of political correctness and laugh in the face of death, this would be the play for you. There was not a dull moment, and every song and dance was performed near perfection. There was a small glitch with some feedback, but the actors powered through it and the rest went flawlessly.
Written by Jacob Richmond (Legoland, Qualities of Zero)—with lyrics and music by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond—this homegrown Victoria musical won Toronto’s SummerWorks Prize for Best Production and the NOW Magazine Audience Choice Award before staging a sold-out run at Victoria’s Belfry Theatre this summer.
You should check out Ride The Cyclone from September 28—October 15, 2011 at the Revue Stage on Granville Island. To purchase tickets you can check the website for Vancouver Tickets. by Jacob Richmond, with lyrics and music by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond. Directed by Britt Small and Jacob Richmond. Choreography and Staging by Treena Stubel. Starring Rielle Braid, Matthew Coulson, Kelly Hudson, Elliott Loran, Sarah Jane Pelzer, Kholby Wardell and Hank Pine.
More links:
* Preview of Ride The Cyclone on Hummingbird604.com.
* Dr. Janni Aragon’s review of Ride The Cyclone in Victoria on Hummingbird604.com
* Trailer
Disclosure: Jessica attended and reviewed Ride The Cyclone on media tickets in representation of Hummingbird604.com. A review is neither paid for nor expected, nor a favorable review is guaranteed. At all points Raul maintains editorial control over anything posted on Hummingbird604.com
Throughout the years, I’ve developed a series of (for the most part, positive) relationships with professionals in the public relations industry. I have also had some pretty substantial confrontations with (a very small number of) PR folks. And both of those are ok, particularly for me. I don’t make my living out of this blog, whereas PR professionals do get paid to pitch media, online influencers, etc. We all change through time and in particular, my approach to being pitched has evolved too. I have given a number of talks on Pitching Online Influencers and Bloggers, mostly from the personal viewpoint of someone who gets pitched all the time.
I have thought a bit more about this topic and wanted to add a few additional thoughts. As I mention all the time on my talks, these thoughts are applicable specifically to how *I* like being pitched. Other bloggers may not have the same kind of “hard, fast” rules as I do, and that’s fine too. Some PR professionals arguably may not have the time to engage in personalized pitches and their focus may be specifically on mainstream media. These thoughts are targeted specifically to PR professionals and agencies who would be interested in working with me for a client project.
1. Understand my business model and make a value proposition that makes your client’s project worth considering
I have conflated two elements here as my own business model is evolving. The first one is – understanding my business model. Right now, I’m in the midst of transitioning to a full ad-revenue-generating blog model, whereas before I didn’t have that many ads on my site (except for sidebar ads aimed specifically at media sponsorship per dollar value). If you want me to work on a project, I may decide (as other bloggers do, and I know local ones who function under this model) to consider covering a project for your client if there’s a promotion tied (e.g. ad) to the client.
If that’s not the case (which may be) then what you pitch me should have value for me (the second element). As someone who blogs for fun and doesn’t do sponsored posts, I’m not getting paid for the post (something I’ve also considered), then at least if I’m to blog about it I should find value in it. Is there value for me or for my readers in the project you’re pitching? Consider your answer to this question before pitching me.
2. Pitching bloggers is different from pitching journalists, and the method should be different too..
I know that there’s still A LOT of discussion around whether journalists are bloggers or bloggers journalists, etc. Personally, I care very little about the debate. But I know that some PR agencies and professionals send untargetted media releases to a media distribution list. This doesn’t work for me, for several reasons. First, because I feel that there is no personality in a media release. Second, because there is no relationship-building in a non-targeted press release. Third, because there is no uniqueness in a press release. Do I really want to blog about something EVERYONE ELSE AND THEIR MOTHER is blogging about? Certainly not. I’m sure other media outlets will pick that one out.
3. Build a long-term relationship (e.g. don’t be a “one-night-stand” PR person)
There have been a couple of times when I’ve been pitched, not been able to blog about something and then have a PR agency remove me from their media contacts list. This doesn’t lead to a good working relationship. It’s likely that I was overwhelmed and was unable to produce content on that specific project. I would think a better way of building a relationship is keeping me in your media contacts, but NOT on your media release distribution list. I like targeted pitches, and if you can work with that, the likelihood that I’ll produce that content will be higher. Another type of behaviour that doesn’t lead to a good working relationship is to not follow up after I have blogged about your client. A small “thank you” goes A LONG WAY.
4. Stay on course once we’ve established a good working relationship.
I don’t quite understand why when I’ve worked with some PR agencies, they pitch me in a targeted way (there’s a full page on how to Pitch Me) and then, a few months down the road, start sending me non-targeted press releases. What goes through my mind is “really?! what the hell happened? when did we begin not having a close relationship?!” If I’ve already produced content that your client has been satisfied with, why not stay with the approach of a targeted pitch? Why transition to bulk-mailed, non-targeted press releases. This one, boggles my mind.
I’ve decided that moving forward, I’ll only write about something when I find value for myself, for my readers and when the targeted pitch is up my alley. This may lead to a reduction in the number of press releases I get, and the number of pitches, but luckily, it will also lead to giving me less (unpaid) work. Want to work with me and have me blog about your client? Here’s my Contact Me page.
I’m addicted to coffee. And tea. And I blog about both of them quite a lot. So it’s always fun to find out more about local events that promote both delicious drinks. The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show 2011 in Vancouver is taking place this weekend and there is a gazillion fun events that are taking place. This is an action-packed weekend, that’s for sure. And if you are a tea or coffee lover, you will want to participate in the series of events. In this post I’m only focusing on the Tea Sommelier Events.
TEA SOMMELIER EVENTS
Do you think you can be a Tea Sommelier? Blind Tasting Panel
Monday, October 3rd 1pm – 2pm
No Charge
The general public, industry and wine sommeliers are invited to challenge the tasting portion of the Tea Sommelier exam. We put 20 students of tea, tea drinkers, tea lovers and wine sommeliers at a table and challenge them to a tea cupping. Much like a blind wine tasting, panelists must try to name the type of tea, style of tea, country and place of origin from a selection of unmarked teas lined up in front of them.
Tea 101
October 1st and 2nd – 11 am to 3 pm
The first of eight culinary college courses that takes you to professional tea sommelier status is being offered right at the Coffee and Tea show this year. The four week course has been deconstructed into an intensive two days. Led by Toronto’s Shabnam Weber, Tea expert and Tea Association of Canada’s Board Director, the course on its own is an excellent Introduction to Tea and may be used as a credit towards your Tea Sommelier designation at applicable colleges offering the program. (Vancouver, Calgary. Edmonton, Toronto) – Course cost is $399
Details and registration
Tea Sommelier Exam – Challenge
Saturday, October 1st 1pm – 3pm
Vancouver Community College – Room numbers #401, #401 #330
Cost of Exam Waived – Participants must meet criteria (must have been in the tea industry for 2 years)
Tea experts are invited to sit the Tea Sommelier exam at the Coffee and Tea show. For those who have extensive knowledge of tea, flavours and origins and have studied courses, this is a rare opportunity to test their knowledge and if passing, leave with the certified Tea Sommelier designation. Register by contacting Riley Richman, Tea Association of Canada: 416.510.8647 ext #2 or rileyr@tea.ca
More information on the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show website. More information about this wonderful showcase:
The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show is designed to meet the needs of independent coffee & tea retailers, restaurateurs, foodservice operators, chain operators, and buyers. The Show offers an extensive educational program geared for new entrepreneurs, independents and chain operators alike. It also features the country’s largest industry trade show, showcasing products and services from North America and around the world, the Canadian Barista Championship and the second annual Canadian Cup Taster Championship.
LOCATION
VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE – EAST EXHIBIT HALL B
999 Canada Place
Vancouver, B.C. V6C 3C1
I love the music of The Cars. It’s one of those amazing groups that stand the test of time. I love the song “Hello Again” and it’s a song that just makes me excited and want to dance. For your listening pleasure.
If you’re at all into the world of industrial design, there’s an original and unusual exhibit happening from September 24th to October 1st at the Burknit Studio.The exhibit is called Prototypes and features the work of five up-and-coming Canadian designers,
uncovering the experiments, thinking, chaos and process involved in bringing ideas to (real) life.
I (Anabelle) attended the media opening of the exhibit on September 22nd on Hummingbird604.com’s representation. Since I’m not a design person (my craft is words!), I hung out with Ariane Colenbrander whose trade is print and graphic design.
One thing I really enjoyed during the exhibit is the multimedia, interactive elements: there’s an iPad at each station showing pictures and videos of the work in progress, and you can connect to the building’s wi-fi to follow along on an interactive website designed just for the exhibit.
I discovered that design work is a lot like writing: it doesn’t come out perfect on the first try. The set by Lukas Peet exemplified that by showing all the different models of a simple set of spoon, fork and knife he made before producing the final results.
Inside the studio, there was even a billboard showing all the work done just to come with the typography for the printed material:
I came out of the exhibit with a new respect for the work of designers and a feeling of community with them–creative work, whether written, visual or musical, requires much trial-and-error, revisions and reworking. Readers, buyers and listeners often only see the final results; the Prototypes exhibit is a great way to peek into the creative process.
You can see all the pictures I took for this exhibit on our Flickr stream.
What: Prototypes
Where: Burnkit Studio, 397 Alexander Street
When: September 24th to October 1st
More info: Burnkit Studio
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Disclaimer: Anabelle attended the exhibit on a media invitation to Hummingbird604.com. She was not expected nor required to write a review. Raul maintains editorial control at all times.
While I feel incredibly guilty about the fact that the water footprint of coffee is 140 litres of water, I do love my coffee in the morning. I actually refuse to be held accountable for anything I say before I have had my first caffeine intake. It’s the one thing that really launches my morning. And I love having coffee with my friends (just ask my friend Lisa and our love of Take 5 Cafe near my office at The Network Hub). The online buzz is indicating that today is International Coffee Day (or National Coffee Day) which actually does have a Wikipedia entry. I do hope that people will take some time to reflect on the fact that coffee does have a high water footprint and at least drink ethical, fair trade coffee.
Happy National Coffee Day!
It’s a good time for ballet: after the amazing performance by the National Ballet of Canada, Ballet BC is presenting an original piece based on Elton John’s and Bernie Taupin’s music and danced by the Alberta Ballet company.
Credit: Charles Hope. Used with permission.
Love Lies Bleeding is a poetic contemporary work that takes audiences through a series of theatrically dynamic tableaux, into the wild, dangerous and powerful world of pop music. The non-stop parade of dazzling costumes by Martine Bertrand rivals Las Vegas for sheer spectacle, with eye-popping projections by New York-based Adam Larsen providing the backdrop for the dancers. Set in a dark theatre littered with mementos, artifacts and remembrances of past glories, the spectacular dance extravaganza depicts the dramatic landscapes of a monumental cycle of compositions which have deeply inspired billions of music lovers around the world. By exploring the trials, victories and sacrifices of achieving super stardom, Love Lies Bleeding is an unforgettable story of rock ‘n’ roll, filled with drama, passion, defeat and, above all, love. This is a ballet sure to rock the planet.
We’re really excited to feature what promises to be an exciting ballet evening. Stay tuned for a review of the premiere of Love Lies Bleeding, on October 13th! Raul will be attending this one (and he can’t wait!). This show has a short run, so you should check it out!
What: Love Lies Bleeding, presented by Ballet BC and featuring Alberta Ballet
When: October 13th to 15th, 2011
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
More information and tickets: Ballet BC and Ticketmaster
In the House Festival 2011: Halloween Haunted House and Ball
This year, why not check out an alternative Halloween event in contrast to the usual horror antics, sexy costumes, and candy? In the House Festival is all about that: this year’s theme, “Faerieland.” A whimsical approach of faeries and goblins is the theme, but an underlying tone of environmental impact is the entire idea. The faeries are angry at humans for destroying their environment, and the hour-long presentation will explain more with over 30 performers.
The setup is A) a haunted house with nightly tours, and B) a kick-off party on October 1st.
The House of Faerie Bad Things includes 8 nightly tours through 13 faerie environments with 30 diffferent performers. The tours of 15 people are an intimate way to explore the setup and learn the ideas and concepts of the cause.
Photo Credit: Jay Wilson via Flickr
The Faerie Ball is a dress-up party with the theme of Faerieland. Live performances, fantastical and fictional creatures. Should be a lot of fun. For tickets, to book a tour, or any additional info, check out http://www.inthehousefestival.com/
Hummingbird604.com will also be doing a giveaway for a pair of tickets to the Faerie Ball on October 1st. To enter, comment on what you plan on dressing as on Halloween this year! Or tweet the following (you can earn up to 2 entries, one via comment 1 via Twitter):
Told @hummingbird604 about my Halloween costume this yr 2 enter 2 win tickets to In the House Faerie Ball. Enter here http://is.gd/Vyn2XT
We will draw a winner on September 30th at 5pm, and publish on this post. Good luck!
If you watch TV, and you were a fan of Grey’s Anatomy (the medical drama/soap opera) you probably also watch the spinoff, Private Practice. Audra McDonald plays ob-gyn specialist Dr. Naomi Bennett.
A four time Emmy winner, Audra MCdonald is performing at The Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver presented by the Vancouver Recital Society (whom, if you remember, gave me tickets to Yo-Yo Ma to give away to my readers a few months ago). This time, I have two pairs of tickets exclusively to give away on Hummingbird604.com for Audra McDonald’s debut with the Vancouver Recital Society.
To purchase tickets to Audra McDonald’s upcoming intimate evening with the Vancouver Recital Society at The Orpheum Theatre on October 11th at 8pm you can do so online (click here). This promises to be one amazing evening.
She may be a Juilliard-trained four-time Tony Award–winning singer and actress who has released three solo albums and performed with every major orchestra in the US, but Audra McDonald is not one to rest on her laurels. “I guess I’m one of those people who jumps in and then thinks about it,” she says about changing things up a bit for her fourth solo album for Nonesuch Records, Build a Bridge, on which she performs works by contemporary singer/songwriters. “I don’t worry about what other people will think. I just choose material that moves me. My hope with this album is that people who are familiar with the artists will enjoy a different take on them, that’s all.”
More about the Vancouver Recital Society:
As one of the few recital series in North America dedicated to presenting internationally acclaimed artists, both emerging and established, the Vancouver Recital Society (VRS) has built a reputation around the world for innovation and excellence in programming, garnering prestigious awards in New York and Toronto.
To enter my giveaway, check the Vancouver Recital Society website’s lineup of amazing concerts, and come back to this post and tell me in the comments section which concert you would like to check out. Personally, I’m keen on checking the Beethoven project. I will draw 2 random winners from all entrants on October 9th at 2pm (you can gain up to 2 entries to the contest, with one being a comment on this post and a second one posting the following on your Twitter stream):
Shared with @hummingbird604 which @vanrecital concert I want to check out. Which one would you want to see? http://is.gd/Vojtq4
Despite the fact that my friends Sean and Jeremy live in Campbell River, I had never visited. It’s been one of those towns that I say “I need to come visit” and never do. I have travelled Vancouver Island up and down, but the very northern part and the western part, I haven’t really had the chance to do so. Thus I was very glad I got to stay one more day during my Tastes of April Point 2011 visit.
I stayed at the Painter’s Lodge, the brother (sister?/cousin?) hotel of April Point Resort in Quadra Island. Painter’s Lodge is a hotel that is very much targeted for those who want to come do fishing expeditions. It’s a great resort with a wonderful restaurant that has an amazing view and a staff that routinely goes beyond the call of duty. My hotel room was really spacious and comfortable (and for some reason I feel these photos are out of focus, perhaps because of the lighting).
In fact, to get to April Point Resort you need to take the water taxi (a 10 minute complimentary ferry ride across the Discovery Passage). I loved this, made me feel as though I had visited 2 towns on the same token.
Painter’s Lodge is a full-service British Columbia fishing lodge and adventure destination in the midst of a stunning backdrop of sea, sky and mountains. The resort offers gorgeous oceanfront views, pool and hot tubs, tennis courts, fitness centre, lush gardens and dining options for all tastes. Life at the resort centres around adventures, from Campbell River’s famous salmon fishing, wildlife tours, whale watching, golf and much more. With 94 rooms and a variety of different suites, this British Columbia fishing lodge has accommodations to suit your individual needs. Painter’s Lodge offers the best of both worlds — first-class salmon fishing and outdoor adventure in a beautiful resort setting.
I loved having the ocean right in front of my hotel room.
And even more fun, Campbell River and the Painter’s Lodge welcomed me with a rainbow…
I will definitely have to come back, as I did not go fishing and that’s a lot of what the experience of Painter’s Lodge offers. Moreover, I think I’ll have to do dinner as the brunch was spectacularly well executed.
I will fully admit that even though I’m a proud iPhone owner, I can totally understand my friends’ addiction to Blackberry smartphones. Admittedly, RIM did a really good job with the keyboard and how easy it is to communicate with other folks through Blackberry Messaging System. It’s gotten to the point where it’s become common place to call them “Crackberry”. And thanks to Best Buy Canada, I have 2 sets (one each) to give away to 2 lucky readers of mine, a Blackberry Torch 9900 and a Blackberry Bold 9810 as part of their promotional for Free Phone Fridays this fall. As you may remember, earlier this year I also gave away a few Samsung phones, and phone cards with Best Buy Canada.
Every Friday in October, Best Buy Mobile is offering a different smartphone for FREE with 3-year new activation! At Best Buy Mobile we are committed to offering you the best service available. With every new smartphone activation we offer our full Walk Out working service ensuring that you leave our store with a fully functioning device including: Free email setup on smartphones, data transfer from your old phone to your new phone and free Bluetooth pairing to your new phone.
To enter my giveaway, tell me a story about your worst text message (it may be a text that wasn’t supposed to go to the person you wanted to, or a really bad auto-correct — you may remember the Damn Auto Correct website – I know it’s for iPhone, but I’m really keen on hearing funny stories of mis-typing on a smart phone). Smart phones aren’t sometimes all that smart – or maybe it’s us, the owners! I will confess that my worst text was saying “I love you so much” to an ex of mine (it was intended for my partner, not for my ex!)
To gain an additional entry you can post the following on your Twitter stream:
Told @hummingbird604 about my worst text message to enter to win a Blackberry from @BBYCanadaDeals http://ow.ly/6Hwqv – what is yours?
I will draw 2 random winners from all entries up until Thursday October 6th at 2pm, so that Best Buy Canada can ship your phone on Friday (which coincides with their Free Phone Fridays promotional). Best of luck to everyone who enters!
During my recent visit to Quadra Island to cover Tastes of April Point 2011 at April Point Resort, I had the opportunity to sample, during our dinner with Ingo Grady, a wonderful Riesling that I thought was completely deserving of a sole feature (particularly because I want to begin to feature specific wines in my Wine Wednesdays series. I have written about a few others before, like the whole gamut of wines from the Apothic red wine to the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay by Cupcake Winery to the Pinot Noir Rose, Chardonnay and Merlot of Chandra Estate Winery.
I took extensive notes about Fritz’s Riesling (Gunderloch Weingut), but unfortunately I couldn’t find on the website the sugar content (whether it’s dry or not), nor the tasting notes (maybe I didn’t look closely) so you’ll have to rely on my description and the notes from the website. From what I remember (and the writeup we were given), Fritz’s Riesling is 100% Riesling with fruity aromas of apricot, balanced in an off-dry style. I do recall from my notes that this was a spectacularly good wine, chilled to almost zero degrees liberated the sweets. This wine goes really well with very strong flavours on a countervailing approach (e.g. spicy and salty, like tapenade and fish and Moroccan spices paired with a sweet, apricot-y wine).
From the website:
FRITZ´s RIESLING is a light, dynamic very food flexible and modern 100% Riesling wine in a hip packaging and a balanced style.
FRITZ´s RIESLING grows in a very small and special part of Rheinhessen called the „Roter Hang“ meaning the „red hill“. The “Roter Hang” is located between the village of Nackenheim and the village of Nierstein 20 kilometers south of the city of Mainz. The characteristic name of this area is ascribable to its red slate soil. The red color comes from a high portion of minerals in the soil. In addition the vinyards are very close to the river Rhein, they are facing south-east and they have steep slopes. The combination of those four factors: the red slate soil, the closeness to the river, the exponation to the sun and the steepness of the vinyards are the perfect combination to produce a special wine like FRITZ´s RIESLING.
FRITZ´s RIESLING – 100% Joy and 100% Fun
I did get a writeup in my booklet that I am reproducing here:
Gunderloch Fritz’s Riesling illustrates the greatness that can be achieved as a result of combining the Old World with the New. The wine is a collaborative effort between Canada’s Mark Anthony Group and the German winery Gunderloch, who worked together to realize their vision of a premium Riesling that would be made exclusively for the Canadian market.
To be honest, I have no clue of the retail price but I’m going to peg it on the $20 per bottle mark, that’d be my guess.
Disclosure: I enjoyed Fritz’s Riesling during my media trip to Tastes of April Point 2011. I am neither paid, nor have I been provided with a free bottle of wine for sampling, nor am I in any other way compensated for this post. I just wanted to share my impressions of a very robust wine that I enjoyed at an event. As always, I retain full editorial control on anything published on my site.
If you follow me on Twitter, you will know that I’m quite keen on retweeting or passing on job opportunities. For obvious reasons, one of them being the fact that I better than anyone know how tough the job market was. So, I was keen to learn more about JobSprout. I asked the founder of Job Sprout a few questions about the company, which he kindly answered below. Thanks for the interview, Mike!
What is Job Sprout
Job Sprout is a modern job board that eliminates the headaches of a traditional job board. From a job seeker’s perspective, the site is clutter free, has easy-on-the-eyes formatting, and is easy to use. Job Sprout differs from traditional sites that make you click several links, only to leave you disappointed by the presentation. Our end goal is to make posting and finding a job simple, stress free, and most important, intuitive.
Most job boards do not represent employers. When you have a multi-million dollar company, the last thing you want to do is have a job board presenting your vacant position in size 9 font, has alignment issues, and inconsistent paragraph spacing. As an employer, you want a job board that represents the professionalism that has made you successful. If you want quality users and applicants, build a platform and community that believes that. If you build it, they will come.
We have so many other job-seeking sites out there (Monster, Work Cabin for enviro jobs, etc.) – what makes Job Sprout unique?
Job Sprout slaps you in the face with how intuitive it is. When you land on our site, you are presented with active jobs. All jobs will expire within 30 days of the post date and we limit the amount of job posting at any given time. By taking this approach, your job posting will not be a needle in a haystack. We don’t want to mislead our users. It is stressful enough for job seekers to find a job, so we try hard to eliminate all the headaches that come along with job hunting. Job Sprout focuses and innovates on the basics. Basics don’t change.
You will only find career-worthy type jobs on our site. Not to say that part-time or contract jobs are bad, but we’re committed to providing quality careers for our users. We are hearing from employers that many qualified people are applying for their jobs. I genuinely believe that’s due to the clearly defined rules we’ve created, leading to a quality community. This makes your target demographic willing to visit and explore.
For job seekers it must be challenging to get new gigs, alerts for jobs and so on – is it free for job seekers (you may have already responded this earlier)
We don’t charge users to view jobs and it will stay that way.
Why did you start Job Sprout (e.g. what’s your motivation behind the site)?
My business partner Ann Lee (@beipas) and I own a software company (Venture Cubes) and our philosophy is to build powerful but simple applications for our clients. We love the challenge of taking huge amounts of data and presenting it in a simple way. Attention to detail is very important, from how a user should feel when they land on the site, to font type and size. User experience is a huge factor to our success. We want to be part of the change and help make our community stronger by changing the way we hire, and the way we look for jobs.
A few weeks ago we ran a giveaway for Broken Social Scene. I (Anabelle) used to listen to Broken Social Scene quite a bit as an undergrad, but I hadn’t heard them for a while, so I was happy to attend their concert at the Malkin Bowl on September 24th.
I got there just in time for the main act. The Malkin Bowl was about half-full at this point, so I found myself a cozy spot on the hill where I could see both stage and crowd.
The crowd was certainly happy when the band showed up on stage; the first five songs were lively and dance-y. I was happy to hear old favourites like “Shoreline” and “Fire-Eye’d Boy” and even a cover of a Modest Mouse song. I don’t know their more recent stuff but the crowd certainly did!
The best thing about the concert was the instrumentation. The music was complex and used a wide variety of instruments that added depth and interest. Lisa Songstein’s voice was a welcome addition to the main singer’s and listening to “Shoreline” brought me back to when I was working as a librarian in Concordia. Good memories there!
However, after the first half of the show, Broken Social Scene went through their more mellow songs and I felt the crowd’s energy drop. While at first there was a lot of hand waving and picture-taking and screaming, the crowd became more quiet and stopped moving. Energy came back up a bit by the end but I personally felt like I’d lost a bit of interest.
The entire set lasted about one hour and fifteen minutes, 15 minutes more than usual. It was their last Canadian concert and they gave it their all (considering they were in Victoria on Friday, too, it’s a lot of moving around!). Our giveaway winner certainly seemed to have a lot a fun, according to her Twitter feed!
Disclaimer: Anabelle attended the concert on a reviewer pass provided to Hummingbird604.com. We were not otherwise paid for the review. Raul maintains editorial control at all times.
After much hype and waiting with baited breath, entrepreneurs in the New Westminster, Surrey, Tri-Cities, Burnaby and Coquitlam areas will not have to wait to test-drive coworking at The Network Hub campus New Westminster in River Market. This week (Monday through Friday, September 26th through 30th) you will be able to drop in (9:00am to 5:00pm) to cowork COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. Which, in my opinion, is a very sweet deal.
A few photos I took of The Network Hub campus New Westminster can be seen below.
And of course, our motivator at the entrance:
Having enjoyed an amazing weekend at April Point Resort in Quadra Island, I stayed over one night at Painter’s Lodge in Campbell River, another resort from the Oak Bay Marine Group. I have a post forthcoming on the actual lodge, but I just wanted to showcase the brunch I had this past Sunday, because as I told a bunch of my fellow bloggers, “you know you’re a food blogger when you take photos of the food before even thinking of eating it”.
Yeah. I’ve blogged about food. Quite a lot. Even when I do travel writing, I always focus a lot on the food. For your sensory overload, here’s a sampler of what I had at the Legends Dining Room at the Painter’s Lodge in Campbell River this weekend. Happy Travel Tuesday!
I am so sorry that I missed most of this year’s Bard on the Beach. Most people ask me how is it that I still miss out on events even with 2 interns. Well, ask my interns: their lives are crazy busy since they started working for me, and even now it’s hard for them to cover everything I get asked to. So, I’m really going to work hard at planning my 2011-2012 season.
And as my 2011-2012 theatre season goes under way, I noticed that this was a great year for Bard on the Beach.
At the closing night of the 2011 Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival season, Artistic Director Christopher Gaze announced that this summer’s overall attendance at the Festival was 84,000, an increase of 5,000 over total Bard attendance in 2010. In the Mainstage Theatre tent, the romantic comedy As You Like It directed by David Mackay played in repertory with the classic drama The Merchant of Venice directed by Rachel Ditor. In the Studio Stage tent, Bard concluded its 3-year History Cycle with a pair of history plays: Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses, an original production based on Henry VI, Parts I, II & III, adapted and directed by Christopher Weddell, along with Richard III, directed by Kathryn Shaw.
“Our increased attendance this year was possible thanks to the expanded capacity of our new 740-seat Mainstage Theatre tent. The additional seats allowed us to welcome patrons who would have been turned away in past seasons”, says Christopher Gaze. “We also were thrilled to offer reserved seating for the first time at Bard, eliminating the pre-show lineups of past years. Our new Mainstage Theatre tent, home of the BMO Mainstage, has given us more sophisticated technical facilities, more comfortable seating for our patrons and an improved environment for our actors; now we’re fine-tuning the space to make the patron experience even more satisfying. This season brought many changes to Bard. The learning we gained as we navigated those changes will strengthen our plans for next year and beyond; we embrace the future with open arms.”
I was able to enjoy this reserved seating and check out As You Like It (my only Bard on the Beach play this 2011, quite sad really). But I know now what is coming for 2012. Bard on the Beach’s 2012 season will run May 31 to September 22.
The opening production on the Festival’s BMO Mainstage will be the romantic comedy THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, staged by Meg Roe (Henry V, 2010; The Tempest, 2008). Playing in repertory with The Taming of the Shrew will be the timeless study of lust for power and moral decay, MACBETH, directed by Miles Potter (The Taming of the Shrew, 2007; Antony and Cleopatra, 2001; All’s Well That Ends Well, 2000). On the Douglas Campbell Studio Stage, Bard will present the perennially popular THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, directed by Jessie Award winning Johnna Wright (The Triumph of Love, Blackbird Theatre, 2007). Alternating with that boisterous tale of Sir John Falstaff’s romantic adventures is another of Shakespeare’s compelling history plays, KING JOHN, directed by Bard Associate Artistic Director Dean Paul Gibson (Much Ado About Nothing, 2010; Othello, 2009).
I’ve seen The Taming of the Shrew a few times, but I don’t think I’ve ever done Bard. Macbeth is a timeless play and I am definitely booking myself for that one. King John is new to me, so I hope to learn a bit more about Shakespeare with that one. The Merry Wives of Windsor is also totally new to me, and I really enjoy that. Despite having done theatre for so long, I find that there’s always something to learn.
You can follow the activities of Bard on the Beach on their site, via Twitter and on Facebook. Their 2012 season promises to be amazing, one of the best yet.
Lovers of contemporary dance take note: Dana Gingras of Animals of Distinction is in town for a short stint at The Cultch to present her newest creation, Heart As Arena.
The intent with Heart As Arena is to bring the language of the heart back to the body; to focus on the physical aspects of the heart itself — creating a choreographic language of the heart that manifests itself through the bodies of the performers. While exploring the intensity of love, transmission, reception, and communication, Heart As Arena also aims to peel off the tired cultural clichés that surround and suffocate the heart.
Credit: Yannick Grandmont. Used with permission.
We happen to have a pair of tickets to give away for the premiere of the show onTuesday October 4th. To enter, tell us in the comments about a way your body expresses what’s in your heart. They say that one of the reasons why dance is so beautiful is because it’s an avenue for us to express our emotions. For an extra entry, post the following on your Twitter stream:
I entered @hummingbird604 ‘s giveaway for tickets to Heart as Arena at @thecultch. You too can enter at http://is.gd/PiGzej
We will draw a winner on Saturday, October 1st at 2pm, so watch this post, your email and your twitter feed. Don’t forget to provide a valid email address so we can reach you!
What: Heart as Arena
Where: The Cultch
When: October 4th to 8th
More info: The Cultch
Whenever I travel on a media/press trip I make a point of discovering more than the actual resort that invited me (in this case, the April Point Resort in Quadra Island, part of the Oak Bay Marine Group). While I came to Quadra Island this past weekend specifically to cover Tastes of April Point 2011, I wanted to see if I was able to visit part of the island. The general management of April Point Resort (thanks Mike!) and the manager of the dining room (thanks, Mariana!) were kind enough to arrange for a driving guided tour of Quadra Island.
Well, not ALL Quadra Island. But at least, part of it. I got to see at least the 3 major neighbourhoods in Quadra Island. From the website:
Located across Discovery Passage from Campbell River, Quadra Island is home to a vibrant community with strong ties to the land and sea. Some islanders continue to make their living in traditional resource-based industries like fishing and forestry. Others work as artists, writers, shop and gallery owners, and in a full complement of professional services. A large number of active, community-minded retirees live on the island. Local events–from festivals to cultural performances–are largely organized by volunteers.
As we drove through Quadra Island, a number of my followers began suggesting where to go, including Rebecca Spit Provincial Park. It’s literally a spit of land, and beautiful even with the weather as crappy as it was (rainy and cold).
I had an opportunity to see the Vancouver Island Public Library (Quadra Island branch) which is at Heriot Bay, one of the 3 main neighbourhoods/areas of Quadra Island. You would need to drive from point A to point B to point C within Quadra Island, or bike (if you have robust legs).
Quathiaski Cove and Heriot Bay have grocery stores, post offices, hair salons, laundromats, restaurants, and pubs. There are two doctors and a dentist maintaining separate clinics on the island, as well as a pharmacy. Quadra also has a credit union, building supply store, gas station, and taxi service.
We also got to drive to the lighthouse at Cape Mudge. I am told by Lynne that there are a number of sunk boats that are also attractive for scuba divers to go and check out around that area. And lots of camping (for those brave souls who like to camp – I’m not a camper myself).
Quadra Island is home to approximately 2,700 year-round residents. The island’s population swells during the summer with the arrival of seasonal residents, tourists from near and far, and seasonal workers. Most of the full time residents live on the southern half of the island, with the three main population centres located at Quathiaski Cove, Heriot Bay, and Cape Mudge Village. Cape Mudge Village (Yucalta), at the south end of the island, is home to the Wei-Wai-Kai band of the Kwagiulth First Nation.
We went on a drive through of Quathiaski Cove (where you catch the ferry that crosses you from Campbell River to Quadra Island and back), Cape Mudge Village (where we saw a lot of the Wei-Wai-Kai First Nations band’s stuff – it was pretty impressive), and a bit of Heriot Bay. Overall, it was I think a very nice overall round-up of Quadra Island and I look forward to spending more time visiting and getting to know this gem of the Discovery Islands.
Photo Credit: Rick Chung on Flickr
This Friday September 30th, why not head down to Hamilton between Georgia and Smithe to check out CBC’s giant open house for Culture Days?
The event runs all day (10am-10pm) and has something to spark just about anyone’s interest. The section of Hamilton will be tented over, so the event will run rain or shine. Different areas of stages for performances, live broadcasts (meet your favourite hosts!), celebrity appearances and activity centers for kids will be ongoing. Let’s be honest, I’ve been dying to catch a glimpse of George Strombolopolous since he was on Much Music back in the day, so this is the perfect time to do so!
On the family side of things, a kids tent will be open all day for pirate-themed crafts, story reading, and live music and entertainment from Mamma Yamma and more.
If you work a 9 – 5, no worries, the party will only just be getting started by the time you are off work! At 5 the evening news will broadcast live on site, with Tony Parsons along with his co-anchors. To celebrate CBC’s 75th anniversary, cake will be served with the entire CBC crew to enjoy it with! I’ll be sneaking my love note to Strombo right around then.
A variety of Canadian stars will be around to say hello, including members of Dragon’s Den, Hockey Night in Canada, InSecurity, The Republic of Doyle, and The Ron James Show. Did I mention George Strombolopolous will be there?
If the thing you love most about Canada is the local musicians and amazing emerging talent, be sure to stick around for the FREE CONCERTS that evening. Starting from 8PM, Stars, The Midway State and The New Pornographers will be at the outdoor stage at CBC. I had the pleasure of seeing The New Pornographer’s at Vancouver Live for the 125 anniversary of the city this summer, and it was such a great time! They really got the crowd into a fun spirit, and I’m sure they could do it again for this event.
Get ready for a star-studded line up of live broadcast, events and music at CBC LIVE! – A kick off to Culture Days on Friday, September 30th, 2011.
On Wednesday September 21st, Hummingbird604 and a bunch of other bloggers and influencers were invited to a premiere presentation of the first episode of the new season of Boardwalk Empire, an amazing HBO production set in prohibition-era Atlantic City. The premiere also involved some yummy cocktails by Canadian Club mixologists (you’d never know it wasn’t vodka in that Manhattan!), to honor the role of the Canadian-made whisky in the alcohol black market of the prohibition era. All the Hummingbird604.com team (e.g. Anabelle, Jessica and Raul) attended the event.
Starring Steve Buscemi and an amazing support cast, the first season of the show developed deep and complex characters, an intricate plot involving politics, crime, racial unrest, post-War American society and, of course, love.
Watch a recap of season 1 on HBO Canada.
So on to the actual episode: don’t be fooled by the hopeful ending of season 1. There’s a lot of misplaced optimism that crumbles down by the end of the episode.
The relationship between Nucky and Margaret has become strained–will she eventually betray him? I love how the show explores her moral life and how she struggles to accept Nucky’s money against strong beliefs, only for the good of her children.
Richard Harrow (the man in the mask) has become my favourite character. The sadness of his life is overwhelming and I cringe at the thought that his wish for a family (that he fulfills through Jimmy’s own) will be dashed against the obvious upcoming failure of Jimmy’s marriage. How will he cope?
Another fascinating moral dilemma happens with Nelson as well–how can he combine his zealous hatred of sin and the fact that he fathered a child with a prostitute?
Boardwalk Empire happens at a fascinating period of history of abundance and excess, zealous religious belief, racial strife and political upheaval. The writers have done an amazing job of displaying the varying positions and moral compromises of the characters in the first season; season 2 opens with a hint of the consequences these moral compromises will bring on the different characters.
Tune in on Sundays at 9PM on Movie Central (in Canada) or HBO (in the US) for the new season. We’ll certainly be watching and reviewing once in a while!
Disclaimer: HBO Canada graciously invited Hummingbird604.com to the premiere of Boardwalk Empire season 2. We were not otherwise paid or expected to write a review but we were asked to wait until the episode had been broadcasted before publishing the review (which is fair). As always, Raul maintains editorial control on all the content. Anabelle took the lead on the review of the episode.
