When asked about Twitter, most people will have one of two opinions...

1. "It's stupid, I don't get it. I don't even like John Mayer!"

2. "Genius! Fast, simple and easy to use. I love Twitter!"

I believe that once you understand Twitter, chances are your negative opinion will switch over to adoration very quickly. Yes you can eavesdrop on Celebrity conversations and be sent spam by scantily clad teens, but the most interesting people to follow are rarely celebrities, or stomach baring adolescents.

Upload a picture, follow a few of your favorite news organizations and prepare to become addicted.

PS: I can always use a new follower too!

Weekend Winnipeg

According to Wikipedia, Karaoke is a “form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music (and/or a music video) using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal.”

For most Winnipeggers, especially us Cre-Comm’s, Karaoke is better defined as a sweet way to spend a Friday night. Luckilly for the Karaoke loving Winnipeg resident, we've got some great places to check out.

1.Osborne Karaoke

110 Osborne Street

This tiny second floor lounge has affordable private rooms, a fun environment and a great location in the heart of the village. Once you get past the sketchy stairs, you'll find an awesome place to take a group. Feel free to barter, if its not busy the employees will cut you a deal on a private room.

2.Muz Karaoke

709 Corydon Avenue

Muz Karaoke makes the list because of its great decor, color themed rooms and most importantly... location, location, location. After a dinner on Corydon, this is the place to walk to if you're in the mood to sing.

3. Limelight Tavern

531 St. Mary's Rd

Limelight makes the list for its large size and great atmosphere but on busy nights the wait to get on stage can get a bit ridiculous. But if you're willing to wait your turn and want a big crowd, Limelight can equal a really fun night.

Have fun!

 Remembrance Day: Chungmi Yim

It was a beautiful summer day in Seoul, South Korea on June 25, 1950 and thirteen-year-old Chungmi Yim wanted some popcorn. “I walked to the market, but it was very strange. Merchants were closing their stores and the air was filled with papers. I caught one and ran home to show my mother.” The delicately beautiful 73-year-old Korean Canadian woman shakes her head and continues, “The papers all said the same thing North Korea had declared war.”

For the next three years, from the age of 13 to 16, Yim’s life was controlled completely by the Korean War, “a living nightmare” that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 10 million people including 516 members of the Canadian Forces. A few days after the first tanks rolled into Seoul Yim was told that she should return to school. “There were no streetcars so I had to walk many miles to reach the school. Everywhere there was blood and death. The dead bodies were piled up like sandbags,” Yim’s gentle face creases as she remembers. “All I could think was this is somebody’s son, somebody’s father, I had to close my eyes. I did not go back to school for the next three years.”

Once the United Nations began bombing Seoul, much of Seoul, including Yim’s house was destroyed. “Whole neighborhoods were gone, thousands were killed,” says Yim. “My father and I were walking to where our home once was, to salvage what we could from the remains. I saw a huge truck coming towards us surrounded by men, throwing things. They were throwing body parts onto the truck, legs, arms, many were children and old people.” She pauses covering her eyes with her tiny, gnarled hands, “My father didn’t think I should see this so he covered my eyes and told me not to look. I never got it out of my head though, I can still see them in my mind.”

After the section of Seoul that Yim, her four younger sisters and her parents lived in was bombed, the family found shelter in a cave dug years earlier by the Japanese in the Second World War. “It was a very nice cave,” says the tiny woman seriously. “If you ducked your head you could stand up. We lived with about 40 people, four other families, and some soldiers. The soldiers were very young, and scared. They had no guns, no boots, it made me sad to look at them.” The months spent in the caves were hungry ones for Yim and her family, food was scarce and the family had little money. “Most young people do not know what hunger is, how painful it is. We did not have much to eat, but when you are starving, every meal is delicious.”

Yim immigrated to Canada in 1967 and though she still remembers the horrors of the Korean War, she is no longer hurt by them. “War is a terrible thing, it hurts the people who survive it for a very long time. I used to dream that soldiers chased me. I would wake up covered in sweat and feel so afraid.” She pauses her eyes crinkling up into a smile, “I don’t have nightmares any more. I have a beautiful family, a wonderful church, and many friends. Bad memories cannot hurt me any longer.”

 

Winnipeg Thrift

Few places in Winnipeg blur the line between high fashion and small budget like a second-hand or thrift store. Many Winnipeggers are tempted by the low prices but find navigating thrift stores a confusing and overwhelming experience. Luckily for the thrift virgin, Winnipeg thrift stores can be categorized into three main types.

Non-Profit

These are the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) stores found in almost every neighborhood. Along with a great bargain, these stores may also cause feelings of good will and relieve spending anxiety since all their proceeds go to charity. They rely on community donations of clothing and use all store profits for either local or international charity work. Not for profit stores are the cheapest of all the thrift stores, as well as the smallest and lowest traffic. Because their stock is all donated, the selection can be limited but these stores are an amazingly cheap place to buy wardrobe basics like Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. If you’re willing to visit your local not for profit frequently, weekly or even daily, the rewards can be really huge. Gucci belts and Chanel t-shirts worth hundreds of dollars lurk between the racks but are snapped up quickly.

Look for:

Everyday clothing, and work clothing. Closet essentials like Gap and Banana Republic.

Big-box Vintage

For a massive selection and a department store feel, big-box vintage stores are the go to location. In Winnipeg the big-box vintage stores are primarily the four Value Village locations spread throughout the city. They are the best known and highest traffic second-hand stores in the city and the selection can be so large that it is daunting. A trip to one of these goliaths can take hours to sort through but the massive variety of clothing but that means that there is something for every taste. Well known mid-range clothing brands like Gap are priced significantly higher than in the not for profit thrift stores and though they accept donations of second-hand clothing and advertise their charitable donations, the big box vintage stores are developed specifically to make large company profits. If you avoid the overpriced sweaters and everyday clothing, there are more affordable designer finds hidden here than any other store. A shopper with knowledge of high end brands can find some impressive items from designers like Marc Jacobs, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Celine.

Look For:

High end designer pieces, especially in coats and dresses.

Boutiques

The secondhand clothing stores that cater to young, trendy, Winnipeggers are the boutiques. These stores are almost exclusively found downtown in Osborne Village or the Exchange District. The stores are well organized and easy to search through. Ragpickers, Vintage Glory and Vintage in the Village are all examples of boutiques, and are the highest priced of all the varieties of thrift stores. Though the price is higher, the clothing being sold is often one of a kind and not available in malls or any where else in Winnipeg. These shops are often consignment based and will even accept your old cast offs for store credit or cash making shopping there more affordable. The clothing is often highly specialized either exclusively to retro fashion or high end designer brands. It’s often a feel-good experience shopping boutique because the shops are usually owned and run by local entrepreneurs and fellow vintage lovers. While the boutique is not for every price range, the vintage connoisseur will find some of their favorite pieces in these shops, and it’s definitely worth a trip.

Look for:

Me, trying on clothing I can't afford.

Blogging: The ultimate in anti-boredom technology.

In the search for something to amuse themselves with, the bored student can find themselves turning to bad reality television, FaceBook, and 3.00 am trips to 24-hour McDonalds. My cure for boredom? Blogs.

For Creative Communications students there is little choice in the matter, blog or die. But our hardship is your gain, and some of my classmates have created some great blogs. So put off doing that project, term paper or essay just a little longer and click on the links.

Have You Hugged Your Server Today?



If you have ever worked in the service industry, or given a waitress hell, this blog will have you wincing with delight. It is written by an Earls server about the customers and crazy's she serves on the job, and has some really memorable moments.

Memoirs of a Gentleman



I've had some literal 'LOL' moments with this blog, most memorably for the video Rich Lohman Action Star. There is also a great play list for those looking to dance around their room like a fool.

Wook Look Out



YouTube videos and funny photo captions make Wook Loot Out a fun time killer. Lovers of popular culture and car malfunctions will particularly enjoy it.

The Unicorn Conspiracy



This is the only Creative Communications blog on my list NOT written by one of my class two friends, but it made it on for sheer genius. I won't even try to explain. Just look at his profile picture. Yes, it is that good.

List Five



Great blog that reads like a page of well written, and very smart 'Tweets'. A great blog idea, with an easy to read format and lots of fun ideas. Any student of Creative Communications can appreciate Five Indicators That You've Sold Your Soul to Cre-Comm

Weekend Winnipeg

For those Bohemian Revolutionaries with a taste for truth, beauty, freedom and love, this weekend has got it going on. From Friday till Sunday, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) is performing Moulin Rouge. I was disappointed to discover that the story is apparently NOT based the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge!, but was reassured by the promise of a night of lust charged can-can dancing, and Parisian romance. What more can a girl ask for?

$23.50 - $86.50
The Centennial Concert Hall
Ticket Master

Ten dollars or less
After blowing all your cash on a night at the ballet, a little frugality is needed for the rest of the weekend. On Saturday night High Five Drive, Talk City, Low Pressure System are all performing at the Royal Albert Arms. The price is ten bucks at the door and the proceeds will be donated to charity. Punk with a purpose. Nice.

$10.00
The Royal Albert Arms

http://www.myspace.com/highfivedrive

http://www.myspace.com/talkcitywpg

Buyer Beware: Frozen vs. Fresh

Homework, studying and part time jobs leave the average student tired, cranky, and most of all, hungry. Keeping in mind a student's tight budget and limited time, my advertising team and I, compared frozen and fresh meals based on taste, price, health, and convenience in the hopes of answering the age old question, “What should I make for dinner?”



To answer this question, our team of experts Jordan Johanson, Alexa Lacroix, James Hawboldt, Sandy Klowak, and myself knew what had to be done. Blind taste test.

We bought our two frozen meals, as well as all our fresh ingredients at Real Canadian Superstore. Deciding what meals we would make was tough, but we decided on two pasta based dishes, chicken alfredo and vegetable lasagna. Our frozen entrees, Stouffer's Skillet Sensations Chicken Alfredo and Bassili's Best 6 Vegetable Lasagna were chosen because they were the cheapest options, with the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check.


We chose our home-made recipes by comparing the ingredients in the frozen entree's to similar on-line recipe's. After much searching, we decided on these two:

Chicken alfredo
Vegetable Lasagna

Results
After holding an illicit taste test in the Atrium of Red River College's Princess St. Campus, and narrowly avoiding being sternly told to get off campus by security, the results were in.


Veggie Lasagna
Total Votes: 55
Preferred Frozen: 13 votes, 24%
Preferred Fresh: 42 votes, 76%



Chicken Alfredo
Total Votes: 49
Preferred Frozen: 26 votes,53%
Preferred Fresh: 23 votes, 47%

STUDENT FOOD PRIORITIES SURVEY

While taking our blind taste test, 80 students also ranked taste, price, health and convenience from one to four on what is most important to them when shopping for meals.

Based on the students’ number one preferences, the categories were ranked from most important to least, as follows:

1. Taste
2. Price
3. Health
4. Convenience



Taste
In our comparison between fresh and frozen foods, one of the key factors was taste. We compared the taste of a frozen chicken alfredo, and a frozen vegetable lasagna, to their fresh counterparts. As five average college students, we prepared the fresh meals ourselves.

Our taste-test results came out as expected for the vegetable lasagna, with the fresh beating out the frozen with a whopping 76 per cent preferring it over the frozen. However, our results for the chicken alfredo were much closer, with frozen beating out fresh with only 53 per cent of the vote, which was a surprise. We concluded that preference for fresh or frozen varies on personal taste and cooking ability. We also felt that the meals we made would not come out as well with one person cooking them instead of five.

My over-all recommendation for taste: Fresh

Price
One of the main reasons that students choose frozen over fresh is the cheap price. In our survey, price was voted the second most important factor when buying food, at 30 per cent, and was generally considered more important than either health or convenience, though not as important as taste. We were surprised that price wasn't first.

The cost of an eight-serving meal of Bassili’s Best 6 Vegetable Lasagna was $11.98. It was over twice as much, at roughly $24.30, when made from scratch. The cost of the chicken alfredos were much closer: our fresh recipe for chicken alfredo, which yields four generous servings, cost roughly $19.02, while the equivalent amount of Stouffer’s Skillet Sensations Chicken Alfredo was $17.91 ($5.99 per package).

An interesting discovery from our blind taste test was that the closer in price the fresh and frozen dishes were, the less preference there was. In our lasagna dish, the much more expensive home-made version was preferred by 76 per cent of voters. For the similarly priced chicken alfredo dishes, the votes were almost evenly split, with frozen getting 53 per cent of all votes.

My over-all recommendation for price: Frozen


Health
Both of our frozen entree's boasted the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check logos. According to healthcheck.org, this logo certifies that the product contributes to an overall healthy diet based on Canada's Food Guide, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation's registered dietitians. However both products contained potentially harmful chemicals and additives.

A surprise for us was Stouffer's Skillet Sensations Chicken Alfredo contains the additive phosphoric acid. Used as an antioxidant or flavor additive in food, the Australian government's National Pollutant Inventory (npi.gov.au) has scored this substance a 1.2 (harmful to health) on a health hazard spectrum of 0-3. While this is a fairly low level on the spectrum, it still carries some toxic and potentially cancer-causing properties.

One benefit to cooking fresh food is having control over what goes into your meal. You can choose a higher fat and sodium recipe, or a healthier alternative-- it's in your hands. Our home-made lasagna contained several types of cheeses, including part-skim ricotta, asiago, and mozzarella. Our home-made chicken alfredo contained a sauce with whipping cream and mozzarella cheese. Both recipes were high in fat, but low-fat ingredients could be substituted for the rich, high-fat ones. When cooking from scratch, you can also choose organic or home-grown veggies, thus keeping tabs on what chemicals you may or may not be consuming.

My over-all recommendation for health: Fresh

Convenience
According to the packages, our frozen chicken alfredo takes 10-12 minutes to prepare by stove, and 10-11 minutes in the microwave, while our frozen lasagna takes 65-75 minutes in an oven and 21-25 minutes by microwave.

Cooking from scratch clearly takes much longer. Including preparation and cooking time, the lasagna would take roughly 105 minutes, and the chicken alfredo would take about 45 minutes. The alfredo requires less preparation work but requires more attention than the lasagna while cooking, making it less convenient, though still simple to make.

My over-all recommendation for convenience: Frozen

Conclusion

Personal preference, and life style are the factors that decide whether fresh or frozen is right for you, but after buying, preparing, researching and eating both, I am choosing fresh.

September on the Streets

After a cool summer, Winnipeggers finally got to turn up their air conditioning this September. The hot weather may have caused a spike in cooling bills for home-owners, but it is a welcome gift for those living on the streets.

For homeless musician Cody Fawcett it means a few more weeks before he has to find a way home. Fawcett has been homeless since losing his job, girl friend and sobriety this July. “I had nothing going for me at home” he says, “I got an e-mail from a buddy in Kamloops, and I decided to go”.

Originally from Hamilton Ontario, Fawcett spent the summer hitch hiking, and riding freight cars across Western Canada. “The way there was fine, but I stayed too long in Kamloops and I’m scared I’ll be on the streets for winter”.

The balmy weather has allowed him to make enough money to eat and buy the alcohol that he craves. Fawcett makes money by singing and playing guitar near popular bars and restaurants, and without warm temperatures, he knows he cannot stay. “If it’s warm, there are people, if there’s people there’s change.”

Cheech Marrian also knows the hardships that winter brings. Unlike Fawcett he is a lifelong Winnipegger, “the streets are hard when you need to be warm” he says, “I am thankful for the Salvation Army”. Like Fawcett, Marrian suffers from an addiction to alcohol, and relies on donations to keep himself alive.

“I wish this september could have lasted forever” says Fawcett, he doesn’t want to return to his life in Hamilton. “I’ve got nothing, but family will take care of me.”

Both Fawcett and Marrian know that the warm weather won’t last much longer, and neither of them look forward to the return of winter, “September has been good, people are generous when its warm out, they don’t give when the weather is nasty” said Marrian, “People forget what its like to be cold”. “September can’t last forever, but I wish this weather could.”

Weekend Winnipeg

I would like to begin with a, remorseful, and very teary “MY BAD!”
Last weekend I neglected my two readers, mom and Kenton, and failed to post a Weekend Winnipeg. Hopefully they feel the healing powers of forgiveness wash over them and accept my most humble apologies.


Ten dollars or less.

The Winnipeg International Writers Festival had some great live readings at Red River College this week. My fellow Creative Communications students and I got to skip class and listen to the very talented Lesley Fairfield, Endre Farkas, Carolyn Marie Souaid and my new favorite poet, George Elliott Clarke.

I had no idea that a poetry reading could be funny, seductive and charming until Clarke began to speak. His reading was one part stand up comedy, one part history lesson and one hundred percent FUN. If you have a pre-existing heart condition, have not yet entered puberty, or blush easily, I would recommend finding something a little more conservative to attend. Clarke’s readings from his new verse novel I&I were funny, interesting, sexy, sexier or sexiest.

After words: George Elliott Clarke
Friday, Sept. 25, 2009
10.30 pm- 11.30 pm
Aqua Books, 274 Garry St
Admission: FREE!

For more information on George Elliott Clarke, as well as this weekends other free readings visit http://www.thinairwinnipeg.ca/schedule

I hope to see you there tonight!

Winnipeg's Gone Wacky

Good news for all starving Comics!

Hot 103 and the Winnipeg Free Press are searching for the funniest person in Manitoba. The winner will get a two night stay at Canad Inns Grand Forks, a guest spot on Hot 103’s Ace Burpee Show with Chrissy Troy and $1,000. That is a LOT of Ramen.

The entry deadline is Sept. 27, and from the nine results that turned up when I searched ‘Winnipeg Gone Wacky’ in YouTube, there is still plenty of space left for aspiring comics.

I'm voting for Keener!


For contest details check out The World According to Ace Burpee at http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ace/gone-wacky/

Winnipeg Thrift.

For those under the mistaken impression that vintage or second hand clothing is 'dirty, gross, or ugly', you my friend are wrong.

Luckily for the frugal Winnipegger, there are a variety of vintage clothing stores catering to almost every taste. For a cheap way to feel like you’re saving the world, Salvation Army, MCC, and Goodwill stores abound. If you're looking for a huge selection and a chance at designer bargains, Value Village is for you, and for those wanting a flash back to an earlier decade, Ragpickers and Vintage Glory in the Exchange district both fit the bill.

One of my favorite ten dollars or less activities is to raid my change jar and run across the street to the near by Salvation Army. I am constantly amazed at the two dollar t-shirts and Gucci belts that can be bought with a little lunch money.

Below are pictures of a few of my recent vintage purchases. I will also include the price I paid as well as retail cost if bought new.


Gucci belt, retail price $260.00, price paid $1.50


Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, retail price $450.00, price paid $3.00


Gold plated Bally key ring, retail price $275.00, price paid $1.00


Yves Saint Laurent shirt (I own it in red not white), retail price $285.00, price paid $2.00

Ignore the musty smell and polyester suit jackets, both your closet and wallet will be thanking you later.

Dangerous Dentist.

A 79 year old Winnipeg dentist is being suspended from practicing dentistry after nearly causing a patient on blood thinners to bleed to death. According to a free press article written by Kevin Rollason, it is not his first suspension either. In an earlier incident a woman found bits of skin hanging from her gums after being fitted for dentures. She had to cut the skin with sewing scissors herself when she got home.

You have to wonder how good his price must be for that kind of service.
If you are in the market for some bargain dentistry, and like to play with a little danger, give Dr. Laba a call. His suspension only begins on October 15 so he can probably fit you in.


http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/breakingnews/Dentist-79-permanently-sspended-from-dental-surgery-59411517.html

Weekend Winnipeg

Ten dollars or less hit the jack pot this weekend folks!
From four to eleven the Sherbrook Street Festival is offering a great line up of local talent as well as some kid friendly entertainment (yawn). All the acts are on Sherbrook between Wolsely and Westminister and once again I cannot stress enough how FREE it is.

4pm - The Abzurbs
5pm - Bushtits
6pm - Jazz on Wheels
7pm - Drum Cafe
8pm - The Magnificent Sevens
9pm - Jessee Havey and the Quirks
10pm - SubCity Dwellers

The last acts of the night Jessee Havey and the Quirks, and SubCity Dwellers both look like they are worth checking out.

http://www.myspace.com/jesseehavey

http://www.myspace.com/subcitydwellers

If street festivals aren’t your thing Ozzy’s also looks good for Saturday. DJ Andy Rourke, the former bass player of The Smiths is playing, and I am more than a little bit curious. Cover is ten dollars.

Have a great weekend!

Hello, and welcome to Creative Winnipeg. This blog is created by a Winnipegger, for Winnipeggers, and will in general be about the city we love and hate so very much.

I hope to filter out the boring; leaving the local news, events, and entertainment that strikes my fancy and gets me (and hopefully you!) interested.

Also, I plan to have a weekly blog post called ‘Weekend Winnipeg’ focusing on everyone’s favorite part of the week, the end of it. These posts will be event and entertainment based, and includes at least one activity that costs less than ten dollars.

I’m most excited to research and write about the ten dollar or less idea, since I often find myself both bored and poor on those rare empty weekends. So grab your student bus pass and prepare to get thoroughly lost in Creative Winnipeg.