Mike's Bloggity Blog

If you live in a major city around the world, chances are you have a group of people who are supporting the Occupy movement by taking over popular city locations with tents and protesters.  Depends on who you ask, the groups either all seem to be supporting the same thing, or they are supporting something else altogether.  Truth be told, I’m confused by all the Occupy movements in Canada, mostly because the things that the original Occupy Wall Street protesters are upset about are simply things that didn’t even ever happen in Canada.

So this week, I dedicated my Metro column to pushing for the end of the Occupy Calgary movement, with the promise of taking over Olympic Plaza…once all the fecal matter is cleaned up. For me, this movement has highlighted the importance of our city parks, even if they are the underappreciated ones like Olympic plaza.

This column has started quite a bit of debate on Facebook, Twitter and the comments section.  Feel free to weigh in, let me know if you agree or disagree.

Click here to read my column in Metro.

T

he week after a shortened week always seems like the longest, doesn’t it?

We should all be used to working five days, but with the days getting longer and colder, we all deserve a little break. So as the final hours of this Friday tick to a slow but inevitable end, I thought this new music video from San Sebastian might at least lighten your dreary day.

I don’t want to spoil it, but the band’s video for Baby follows the adventures of a 75 year-old “hipster” who escapes his wife for the night to go hang out with the young band. Hilarity ensues when the elder but spunky gentleman gets drunk on shots and the band whisks him off to their favorite bar.  I already feel like I’ve said too much.

I’ve never really listened to San Sebastian before, but I’m digging this song too, it kinda reminds me of Jet‘s Are You Going to Be My Girl.

If you haven’t done it in a while, hopefully this video reminds you to call your grandparents…and maybe do a shot with them.

Tonight was a really special night in Calgary. CBC Radio’s most popular program ever, Q with Jian Ghomeshi taped an episode of the program right here in the city.

Now, to you Toronto and Vancouver folk, you might not think this is a big deal. But here in Calgary, we don’t get a lot of shows that involve a live audience. I actually can’t think of one, especially one as big as the cue.

The show will air on Friday, November 18th on CBC Radio, but I was lucky enough to attend the taping on Thursday night.  What I really loved was that Q really highlighted some of my favourite and this city’s most talented people  including Jann Arden, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, actress Rebecca Northan and of course, our mayor Nenshi, who’s own superstar status almost stole the show.

The Calgary edition of Q also introduced me to Samantha Savage Smith, an amazing singer who’s album is currently downloading on to my computer as I type. There was also an interesting media panel discussion about both The Occupy Calgary movement and the Keystone pipeline debate, you’ll have to listen to the show yourself, but let’s just say there were cheers, jeers, boos and thankfully a little laughter.

It was great to see such an important show come to our little city in the west, I’m hoping that Jian will go back to Toronto and spread the word to other shows and that they themselves might think about coming out to visit us too.

Q airs daily on CBC Radio.

Okay, let’s break this down for you:

Great news: Top Chef Canada season 2 returns to the Food Network on March 12th, 2012!

Bad news: Season 1′s original host Thea Andrews (who I LOVED) is out!

Good news: It’s cause she had a baby.

Wait and see news:  The show’s new host is actress, model, host and philanthropist Lisa Ray.  Movie fans will recognize her from Water and Bollywood Hollywood.  She seems cool, but I LOVED me some Thea Andrews, so lets just settle with that I’m cautiously optimistic about the new host.

Dangerous news:  The winner of season 2 will take home a GE Monogram kitchen worth $30,000.  For the first season I made a drinking game out of how many times Andrews reminded us who was the show’s sponsor and I ended up getting alcohol poisoning from every single episode from the season.

Most important news: Top Chef Canada 2 is only a few months away! This is the best Canadian reality show on TV right now, so I can’t wait to see who the new contestants are!

It may not exactly look like Christmas is right around the corner, but with only six weeks until the big day, Wednesday marked the kick off of the 23rd annual Mayor’s Food Drive.   About a dozen or so organizations and media groups joined together to help celebrate the launch with a very special scavenger hunt that saw us racing and running down the aisles of a local Safeway store.  (Above: That’s me with my team from Breakfast Television including Kate McMahon, Andrew Schultz and Kevin Knough.)

The Food Drive runs until December 23rd and donations can be dropped off at any number of locations including All CBE & CSSD schools, all City community centres, all car dealerships (CMDA), all Safeway stores. And, of course, the Food Bank.

The launch was a blast and saw teams face-off to answer crossword-style questions about the Food Banks most needed items.  Once we had our clues, we raced throughout the store, grabbing as many items as we could.  Safeway was generous enough to donate all the items gathered directly to the Food Drive, so our team made sure to grab the biggest (and most expensive) items!

Here are some photos from the day.  If you want some more information about the Food Drive, you can visit the Calgary Inter-faith Food Bank‘s website!

Lisa Wolansky and Erin Strate from Shaw TV.

Teams race around Safeway to gather the mystery items!

We packed our shopping cart to the rim…and more!

Filling our cart with the Food Bank’s most desired items.

The gang from CTV rush to gather as much pasta as they can!

Danaye, Adam and Fuzzy from The Virgin Morning show added their singing abilities to help us secure third place!

The gang from KoolFM and CTV Morning Live teamed up to take on the competition!

In the end, Jack FM was presented by Mayor Nenshi the Golden Cart and they happily donated their prize money to The Calgary Food Bank!

The amazing crew from the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank celebrate their organizations extra large haul of donations!

It was absolute blast to be apart of this event and such a great way to kick off the holiday season.  There was tons of great energy in the room and to see everyone come together for a great cause like the Calgary Inter-faith Food Bank was really amazing.

Here are some Calgary Food Bank Fast Facts:

• In the past year, 146,847 Calgarians received food from the Emergency Food Hamper Program.
• Client visits have increased by 70% since 2007.
• 42% of clients were children.
• Last year, the Food Bank welcomed 17,313 new clients.

First things first, I know that this post being above the other one is ironic, but it was too funny to actually do anything about it.

This morning I got to join the always enjoyable Unconventional Panel on CBC’s The Eyeopener to talk about the Christmas Creep.  To be honest, I didn’t know what the Christmas Creep was at first.  I thought maybe there was a weird man wondering around in a Santa Claus costume.  But no, The Christmas Creep is actually the term used to discuss the idea that we are celebrating Christmas earlier and earlier every year.  I remember seeing in August that people were Tweeting about seeing Christmas Trees in Costco.  (God I love Costco, Xmas idea anyone?)

So this morning I joined comedian Cory Mack and Leanne “The Ironic Mom” Shirtliffe to talk about if by celebrating Christmas, are deluding the importantce of my favourite time of the year.

Click here to listen to the segment.

Thanks to David, Angela, Jenn and everyone at CBC, always a blast.

Happy (early) Holidays.

This is a sponsored post for The Core.

Guys who buy themselves everything, are often the most difficult to shop for.  I should know, I’m one of them.  With my family living across the country and more active online dating profiles then I can count, I rarely wait around for the perfect gift, so I usually just buy it myself.

So what to buy someone like me?  The answer is easier than you might expect, here’s my list of five gift suggestions that every guy will like, no matter how much stuff they already have.  (All of these items are available at The Core, which is throwing one of the biggest parties of the season…all for a good cause.  More details on that below. )

As someone who is notoriously difficult to shop for, I always appreciate a good tie, because to me, it’s like you just bought me ten different outfits.  A good tie can make old shirts look new, plus thanks to hipsters, ties can now be worn during day or at night.  They are casual enough to have on during a lunch date, yet formal enough to wear for a night on the town.   If you’re looking for a tie to buy someone, try to find one with a few different colours in it, that will increase the chances that it will match your guy’s wardrobe.  (Club Monaco, $59)

Cameras are always a safe bet for when you’re looking at gifts.  But there are lots of crappy cameras out there, so you’ll want to tread carefully.  My favourite camera right now is the Canon G12.  A near perfect camera that’s a mix of SLR and Point and Shoot.  At $549, the camera is packed with amazing features, so you are definitely getting your moneys worth.  I’ve been using mine for the past two years for everything for Red Carpet shots to capturing the beauty of the mountains and I’m constantly amazed with its high-quality pictures.  It’s so easy that they’ll be taking pictures with it before you’re done opening gifts.  (Blacks, $549)

It’s the holidays, so why not give with a conscience?  Tom shoes are all the rage right now and no wonder, with every pair you purchase; TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.  The guy on your list will look fashionable and you’ll have done a good deed all at the same time.  And because the shoes are so lightweight and comfy, it really is the best all-round gift to give this season. (Locale, $60)

It’s always hard to buy a good jacket for someone in Calgary, mostly because the weather is always changing.  Do you spend the money on a big heavy coat or should you just invest in a nice spring coat?  Depends on the day, or even the hour.  That’s why I’m a fan of vests. There’s enough heat to keep you warm, but when that Chinook inevitably rolls in, your arms are free to help keep you cool.   This vest at H&M is even more perfect because it’s made from recycled wool. By helping little bit cooler, your guy will stay nice and warm.($59.95)

Any chance I get to sing the praises of Friday Night Lights, I will do it.  The Emmy winning series is now available as a complete series and it’s simply perfection.  One of the reasons is that it is so good is that it really is a TV show for any type of guy you might have in your life.  There’s lots of football for the sports fan.  There’s enough drama to keep even the sensitive guy happy.  And if nothing else, Minka Kelly, lots and lots of Minka Kelly.  I seriously can’t imagine a more perfect gift.   (HMV, $89.99)

T’was the Night:
On November 30th, The Core will play host to T’was the night, which is the season’s biggest private party!  Tickets are only $15 with every penny benefitting United Way’s “BeCause” initiative and the National Music Centre

The party kicks off at 6:30pm and will include a ton of one-night only events

• Exclusive one-night only offers from The CORE retailers
• A performance by Juno Award winning singer Chantal Kreviazuk
• Sampling of holiday-inspired beverages and cuisine
• Red Carpet hosted by Lainey Lui of LaineyGossip.com
• FREE Parking
• Unveiling of The CORE’s 40-foot illuminated Christmas tree

Click here to buy your tickets.

CONTEST:

So obviously my gift guide is awesome and you’re going to want to pick my suggestions all up for whoever you have your list, BUT if you would could only pick one of the items, which would it be?  Leave a comment and you could win $100 gift card to The Core.  Obviously this is a sorta Calgary-centric prize, BUT everyone knows someone in Calgary, so it makes a great gift if you don’t live here!

I’ll do the draw on Tuesday, November 29th at 11:59pm MST.

Good luck!

Just like any good mystery, the foretold death of Murdoch Mysteries has seen a twist, and it’s a gooder!

CBC has just announced that it will save the show that was canceled by Citytv after five relatively successful seasons.

If you’ve never caught the show, Murdoch Mysteries explores the intriguing turn-of-the-century world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a detective who pioneers radical forensic techniques for the time in his quest to solve the city’s crimes. Basically it’s like CSI without electricity. The series is shot in and around Toronto and Southern Ontario as well as additional locations across Canada including Dawson City and Ottawa,  and it’s also featured a lot of cool cameos and guest stars including Victor Garber, Peter Keleghan, Sebastian Pigott and of course, Stephen Harper.

I tried to think about other show’s that were saved by other Canadian networks, and none really came to mind.  I know that CTV brought back Degrassi, which initially aired on CBC.  But that’s really about it.  It would be nice if CTV, Global or Citytv took the steps necessary to save Being Erica, which is presumed to be currently airing its final season.

While I’ve never watched Murdoch Mysteries, it’s great to see that the Canadian production has been saved, because since it was developed in 2003, its created more than 5000 jobs for actors, writers, directors, producers, crew, extras and technical and production services.

For years, the only national broadcast of a New Year’s Eve show has been out of, surprise, surprise Toronto. But 2012 is going to be a little different.  Actually, it’s going to be on 2011, but it’s New Year’s Eve 2012…so you get the point.

Citytv has just announced that for the first time ever it is adding a second broadcast location – Calgary – to its annual New Year’s Eve Bash.  The live telecast also increases to four hours, from two, with big-name celebrities and musicians to ring in 2012 in style.

The December 31 broadcast begins at 10pm ET/CT and 8pm MT/PT on Citytv with a two-hour national broadcast from the Toronto event, followed by a two-hour national broadcast from the event in Calgary.  That means that Calgarians will get the chance to have a big ol’ party in Olympic Plaza with some pretty big artists!

They haven’t announced a lot of performers yet, but so far I know that Backstreet Boy singer Howie D and pop sensation Anjulie will be on the Toronto broadcast,  while the party continues at Calgary’s Olympic Plaza with supergroup Down With Webster.  (I’ve heard rumours of the other acts, but I can’t say anything yet.)

It’s already going to be a busy time for Calgary, what with something called the World Junior Championships going on, so I’m guessing between this big New Year’s Eve party and the hockey tournament, it’s going to feel a little bit like the Calgary Stampede…only a LOT colder.

I’m sorta excited because this will be my first New Year’s Eve in Calgary, so it’s good to know that I’ll definitely have something fun to do.  Now, let’s just hope it isn’t -40.

If you’ve been reading this blog during the past few weeks, you know that my granny, Jean Morrison, has made it to the finals of the Winnipeg’s Gone Wacky stand up comedy competition.  It’s been inspiring to see her following her dreams, even at 89 years old.  She’s a determined woman and I can’t wait to see what she does at the finals of November 24th.  If I could be in Winnipeg for the show, I’d be there in a heartbeat.

In the weeks leading up to the finals, my granny is training hard and getting her final routine ready for the big stage.  As you can imagine, the story of an 89 year old comedian has caught the attention of the Winnipeg media and this past Friday, my granny made an appearance on CTV Morning Live. (The picture is my granny with one of the show’s co-hosts, Kristin Hursh.)

I think she did a wonderful job and I know that she was so nervous.  I talked to her afterwards and she said that she hadn’t slept in two days!  Seriously, how cute is she?

Click here to watch the video, it’s called “89 Year Old Comic Wows Winnipeg”. (Hey CTV, you need to make your videos easier to share) and keep your fingers crossed for the 24th!

Good luck Granny!