tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165159612024-03-07T12:05:15.752-08:00ObsessionsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.comBlogger1087125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-31032481827849473712011-03-19T15:56:00.000-07:002011-03-19T15:56:39.137-07:00My shot at $10,000I did something a little foolish on Friday. It's a bit crazy but well worth it for the payout.<br />
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Larry & Willy, two local radio personalities, are holding a contest. Individuals bought near life-size cutouts of the guys, were handed a list of tasks each of which has a points value and on April 30th, whoever has the most points takes home $10,000. It's a nice chunk of change and that was enough encouragement to get me to drop some of my hard earned Jack points for a one in 50 chance at the money. Loads more details on the contest on the <a href="http://www.jackfm.com/contests/more.jsp?content=20110304_200709_14868">official website</a>.<br />
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So for the next month, you're going to be seeing a lot of pictures and probably hearing a lot of crazy stories about how various photographs were taken. Here's one of my fave so far. Task #29 was to take a photo at a restaurant or bar. We went to White Spot for lunch and told our waitress what was going on since we walked in with the cutout. She told the Assistant manager who came over with two of the kitchen staff and posed for a photo with Larry & Willy. Thank you soooooo much guys! That was awesome!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegaEXaT4j8zXGOhGjVsHqiJRnS8i-i0wz7Ge3QarupwsIm9aUIxQfykxgjzhQ69eUYminoUJB3vgAR05HvMcCNvyh0JLKC_eGlIBuj4KY9UeoyZuZOxpZ7rk4h3JEFxieYLG7NA/s1600/IMG_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegaEXaT4j8zXGOhGjVsHqiJRnS8i-i0wz7Ge3QarupwsIm9aUIxQfykxgjzhQ69eUYminoUJB3vgAR05HvMcCNvyh0JLKC_eGlIBuj4KY9UeoyZuZOxpZ7rk4h3JEFxieYLG7NA/s400/IMG_0461.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
To see all of the entries, check out the <a href="http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/106159/voteable_entries?ogn=facebook&view_entries=1">Facebook page</a>.<br />
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Oh yeah. And you have a chance of winning too! If you spot one of the cutouts, snap a photo and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/JACKvancouver?sk=wall">upload it to the FB page</a> and you have a chance to win $100. Good luck to all!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-7109010044249827912011-03-14T10:18:00.002-07:002011-03-14T10:25:08.112-07:00Civil Twilight @ The Media ClubIt’s been a while since we’ve seen a show quite as outstanding as the Saturday we spent at The Media Club but the evening didn’t start out quite as well as it ended. We arrived for the 8PM doors at 8:10 and the line-up of people was starting to get a little long. We didn’t worry about it too much since our <a href="http://the-marina.blogspot.com/2011/03/jeff-martin-777-media-club.html">last trip</a> to the venue also had us standing outside for almost 20 minutes but when, at 8:45PM we were still standing out in the cold while the bands sound checked, I, and the other folks in line were getting impatient. And then, for no particular reason, a huge group of people came from behind us to create a second line out front. It was a disaster because no one knew what that second line was for and the entire thing ended with a huge clump of bodies at the front and a door man who didn’t seem to care that half of the line had jumped the queue. <br />
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Once inside and after a drink, we settled in for the first band of the night, a local act called <a href="http://www.runtheredlight.com/">Run the Red Light</a>. They were high energy, their tunes were catchy and they got the crowd going. I was so impressed, I picked up one of their download cards and by Sunday afternoon, I’d purchased their EP and had a few more listens. They have a bit of a Brit rock sound which I've been really digging lately. I’ll be keeping an eye out for these guys playing around town – would love to see them again.<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5523583098/" title="Run the Red Light by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/5523583098_7fe2289bf4.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="Run the Red Light" /></a></center><br />
We took a little break between bands and headed outside for some air where we bumped into a guy whose name we never got and whose website I can’t find. That said, he kept insisting that if we took nothing else from the conversation, we should take note of another local up and coming act called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/dataromancemusic">Data Romance</a>. I haven’t listened yet but considering he seemed to know what the heck he was talking about (and he certainly has good taste considering the show we were at), they’re worth at least a listen.<br />
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UK group <a href="http://www.myspace.com/asilentfilm">A Silent Film</a> took to the stage next and they too belted out some pretty amazing tunes. So impressed was I that I picked up their debut album “The City that Sleeps.” It is solid from beginning to end and I’m particularly fond of “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9dT7ha1GfY&feature=player_embedded">Driven by their Beating Hearts</a>;” it’s a stellar single. <br />
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Unfortunately, I was so far back I could barely see the band never mind take a photo. I hope these guys roll through town again. I’d happily see them headlining.<br />
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Now onto the main act. We saw South African band <a href="http://civiltwilightband.com/">Civil Twilight</a> opening for <a href="http://www.anberlin.com/home/">Anberlin</a> last year (mind you, I remember having seen them but I couldn’t figure out what band they’d opened for). For whatever reason, I hadn’t listened to any of their stuff but I was more than happy to hang out with Special K and an evening of live music and good god I’m thrilled I did.<br />
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Much to the dismay of a few ladies, I snuck us in right in front of the stage – there was no way I was going to stand in the back again when there was room up front. I don’t think they were particularly happy by my boldness but seriously, if you don’t want anyone to stand in front of you, don’t leave a space. I can see why they were a little miffed; lead singer Steven McKellar is pretty easy on the eyes though I was a bit irritated by their ogling - control yourselves ladies. We're not 12. <br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5523582688/" title="Civil Twilight by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5291/5523582688_bdeeae3d39.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="Civil Twilight" /></a></center><br />
They put on a really fantastic show though guitarist Andrew McKellar spent most of his time looking at his board rather than at the crowd. He did look over at his brother a few times and the two shared more than a few smiles. I'd venture to say they were having a pretty good time.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5522992779/" title="Civil Twilight by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5522992779_9fbb1b04ed.jpg" width="374" height="500" alt="Civil Twilight" /></a></center><br />
It could well be nerves – the stage at The Media Club is pretty low and the crowd is *right there* but it didn’t stop the band from performing an impressive set. I loved their cover of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” (which is <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/teardrop-single/id383743304">available on iTunes</a> as a single). At this rate, I'm pretty sure the next time we see them will be at the Commodore. They're a solid act and I can't imagine them rolling into such a small venue on their next trip through town and I have no doubt there will be a next trip.<br />
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It was a fantastic night and I can’t remember the last time I liked all three bands so much. Seeing any one of them on a given night would be great but seeing all three on the same bill was down right spectacular.<br />
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I managed to snap some decent photos (considering the crummy camera and limited lighting). As per usual, they're all up on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/lastfm%3Aevent%3D1843260/interesting/">Flickr</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-88081759485243723752011-03-04T13:06:00.000-08:002011-03-04T13:06:57.683-08:00Jeff Martin 777 @ The Media ClubI first caught wind of Canadian rockers The Tea Party sometime in the mid nineties when I saw a video for "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh0C3e0He2k">The River</a>" on Much Music which, at that point, was still playing music; what a novel idea eh?<br />
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My first thought was that Martin was the reincarnation of Jim Morrison: same raw sex appeal, simiar 70s rock vibe and an amazing voice. It would be a few years before the release of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Edges_of_Twilight">Edges of Twilight</a>," still my favourite Tea Party album, but it would be years before I finally had a chance to see the band live just before their break up in 2005 when they played two acoustic shows in Vancouver.<br />
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It's been years since I heard anything else about the band and whenever they crept up on my playlist, I found myself delving back into the music and it still rocks solid. So when picking up tickets to Civil Twilight we noticed that Jeffwas coming into town, Kathy and I dediced we had to go.<br />
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The show didn't start off too well. To begin with, they kept us waiting outside the venue well past 8PM. The firts band, a local act called <a href="http://www.myspace.com/angeldownrock">Angel Down</a>, took the stage at about 8:45PM. I really didn't care for their heavy sound and I don't see them as "melodic hard rock" but to each their own. Let's just say it's was a looooooooong 30 minute set.<br />
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The second band, a Toronto act named <a href="http://www.flowerchildmusic.com/">Flowerchild</a> were much, much better and did a fairly good job of getting the crowd, by this point much of it talking loudly and clearly bored, back on track. I really dug their mix of blues, jazz and rock. Definitely worth a bit of a closer listen.<br />
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Martin and his band came on at 11 and they rocked the house for nearly two hours. The band kicked off with a couple of tunes from Martin's new album, "The Ground Cries Out," which Martin went on to inform us, had sold out across Canada upon release on Wednesday (but I got me a copy. Boo yah!). He then kicked off into some old stuff and a couple of cover tunes including renditions of NIN's "Hurt" and Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." They also dipped into some old school Tea Party tunes which really got the crowd going.<br />
<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs2f_6JCGsn-mK5v34ixXzFscRwR05OeBgRVlhsk45BJda7K-IqA_Rm3aMEE9JLEDR5pAXpUrnKBNOJrXJLE4SCE-XAj356lOZWCj2usuRR3gcvCUrHGtPAcQOISCJqFgpXw5Rg/s1600/jeffmartin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs2f_6JCGsn-mK5v34ixXzFscRwR05OeBgRVlhsk45BJda7K-IqA_Rm3aMEE9JLEDR5pAXpUrnKBNOJrXJLE4SCE-XAj356lOZWCj2usuRR3gcvCUrHGtPAcQOISCJqFgpXw5Rg/s400/jeffmartin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">My photographer had shaky hands :)</span></center><br />
These guys are true classic rockers. The music is timeless, as good rock music should be - I'm still a bit surprised at the fact that the band never did particularly well int he US - and they play a mean set. I was particularly impressed by their continuous play from song to song. I can't remember the last time I saw a band do that - it seems something very old school. <br />
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It was a fantastic show. I wish I'd thought about it and picked up tickets to tonight's show as well.<br />
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Looking forward to seeing Martin and the band again when they come rolling through town next time. Hopefully it won't be another six year wait. As for those going to tonight's show, <b>I'M JEALOUS</b>. And be prepared for a rockin' good time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-19132706917802559342011-02-25T15:08:00.000-08:002011-02-25T15:08:02.194-08:00I said party dammit!So you'll never guess what happened. I was out and about today and wondered into a high-security truck which was carrying a list with all of Sunday Night's Oscar winners. Your guess as to what they were doing in Vancouver is as good as mine but I went ahead and copied all the right answers. Here they are:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1E1axS5Am7kqlf3LDjdKn_mPbywDLE7cHV016YB06tcoHIyIYRzU8Ra03w2XRVHFL9unQs9TKf94IE6ZQKkGFy-W0Ki8Y6OkwPJCuitVWBq_gHGuy52AeVEV-cPeecBr1zs2m8Q/s1600/oscar2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1E1axS5Am7kqlf3LDjdKn_mPbywDLE7cHV016YB06tcoHIyIYRzU8Ra03w2XRVHFL9unQs9TKf94IE6ZQKkGFy-W0Ki8Y6OkwPJCuitVWBq_gHGuy52AeVEV-cPeecBr1zs2m8Q/s320/oscar2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
That story is as likely as a Psychic pulling the answers out of the ether but whatever. Truth is, I'll be around regardless of where you are. If you're in Vancouver, I'm hosting a party, complete with prizes, at La Fontana (Big Kudos to John for allowing us to use his space). 'Cuz I know you wanna hang out with the cool people, details on the party <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#%21/event.php?eid=154627631258829"><b>here</b></a>. But you can only come if you're cool. Like, ULTRA COOL.<br />
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If you're not in Vancouver or prefer to watch the show in your pajamas with a cutout of Robert Pattinson as your special guest for the night, you can tune into our Oscar Chat at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#%21/event.php?eid=154627631258829">Row Three</a>. It'll kick off on Sunday at 4:30PM and you can join that without having to remove yourself from Rob's strong cardboard hold.<br />
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And I promise not to leave you all for such an extended period of time ever again. Or at least until next time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-60856731878279640082011-01-18T11:29:00.000-08:002011-01-18T11:29:48.482-08:00Music on the N8I love the fact that most of the new devices have enough onboard memory that I'm able to use one device for everything. I love having music at my fingertips and the N8 is an easy one to load. I'm not a big fan of the Nokia desktop software and am not even sure it'll run on a Mac but transfering music proved to be pretty easy. I connected the phone to the computer as a harddrive (you have to select a the USB setting: <b>Settings --> Connectivity --> USB --> Mass Storage</b>) and simply dragged the music over into the "Sounds" folder. One thing I noticed is that not all of the CD covers moved as well which may have something to do with my specific settings rather than the phone. I found them later in the photos file of the phone.<br />
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The built-in music player is easy to use and navigate with options to organize by song, album, artist or genre. There's no horizontal mode for the player but it does have a similar album cover scroll option which the Apple devices uses. It's not the prettiest layout but it's functional.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5351585243/" title="Music Libraray on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5126/5351585243_b8c0464aca.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="Music Libraray on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
I do like the album view which gives you both the album cover and the list of songs contained in the album.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5352196126/" title="Album View on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5244/5352196126_152550c6ac.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="Album View on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
The desktop is also quite handy and gives quick access to the music library which I like. <br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5351583871/" title="Music Desktop Widget on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/5351583871_c1718a3c93.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="Music Desktop Widget on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
One feature that I absolutely love is the Playlists wich features one of the best things I've seen recently: a "Recently Added" playlist which is automatically updated when you add new music. This is a feature I loved on the Zune which I miss dearly on the iPhone and which makes an appearance here.<br />
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With all the good stuff the music player has going for it, it's lacking a few features which I can't live without. The first is real-time scrobbling. This feature is also not available on the iPhone directly but I found a few apps that did the trick. Searching through the vault of Symbian apps hasn't uncovered an app with similar capabilities. There also isn't an option to create playlists on the go which is something I miss dearly from the N900. <br />
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Though it doesn't wow, music on the N8 is functional and easy to use. Just wish it had a few additional bells and whistles to make it a show stopper.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-10660910362843654602011-01-13T11:56:00.000-08:002011-01-13T11:56:58.315-08:00Must Have Apps on the Nokia N8Though my <a href="http://the-marina.blogspot.com/2011/01/n8-introduction.html">initial impressions</a> of the Nokia N8 weren't all glowing, the phone did have a few cool features but after a bit of digging and some time cruising through the app store, the N8 is slowly transforming into a great phone.<br />
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Since my first brush with the Ovi Store, Nokia's version of the App Store, there have been a great many improvements notably the addition of thousands of new apps that allow you to do pretty much anything.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349279565/" title="Ovi Store on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5009/5349279565_40dcf2143d.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="Ovi Store on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
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I rarely use my phone for talk and use text messaging and social media for communication with a few other tools to keep in touch with those around me. The phone's built in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349282275/in/photostream/">text messaging</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349287669/in/photostream/">conversations</a> applications are already quite good but for those who prefer something else, there are other options including <a href="http://www.whatsapp.com/download/">WhatsApp</a>. It's worth noting that WhatsApp is free in the Ovi Store but costs in the Apple Store (I think I paid $1.99 for it).<br />
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One thing that's a must download is <a href="http://www.malaysianbroadband.info/swype-for-android-and-nokia-symbian/">SWYPE</a>, a new way of typing by swiping your finger over the tochscreen keypad rather than hunting and pecking for it. I was a little skeptical about this when I first saw a video of it in action last year but after two days of usage I swear by it. Can't wait until it makes its way to the iPhone.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349085185/" title="Swipetype on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5349085185_38f541e199.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Swipetype on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
I'm Twitter obsessed and though the N8 comes pre-loaded with a social networks widget, I found it slow and hard to use. Searching around and testing a number of other free apps, I have settled on the fact that <a href="http://mobileways.de/products/gravity/gravity/">Gravity</a> is still the best twitter app for Symbian. It's expensive at $9.99 but if you tweet as much as I do, it's well worth the cost. I'd purchased it for my N95 and have downloaded a 10 day trial version for the N8 which is as user friendly and sleek as I remember it.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349892216/" title="Gravity Twitter Client on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5349892216_cf3fa556ee.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="Gravity Twitter Client on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
The last much have app for video and photo lovers is <a href="http://pixelpipe.com/">Pixelpipe</a>. I have friends who swear by <a href="http://www.shozu.com/portal/index.do">Shozu</a> but I could never really get it to work on the N95 and at $4 in the Ovi store, it's not really worth it for my 10 day trial of the N8. Pixelpipe on the other hand is completely free and as a bonus, there are a number of plugins that allow you to, in one step, upload photos and videos to all sorts of different social media accounts. I've been using it for all of my Flickr uploads and it works like a hotdamn. VERY awesome. It's not particularly difficult to set-up and I already had an account that I use with my iPhone so I just had to login but if you're looking for a step by step on the setup, aymontano has an outstanding <a href="http://blog.ovi.com/dailyapp/global/2011/01/with-pixelpipe-on-your-nokia-upload-once-and-easily-share-everywhere/">step-by-step install and steup</a> on the Nokia Forums.<br />
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Some other apps I've been using include <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349891286/in/photostream/">Opera Mobile</a> which has an interface I'm familiar with having used it on a number of my devices and works great here (the built in browser is OK but nothing to write home about), <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349280279/in/photostream/">Foursquare</a> for checking into various locations, and for all of my screen capturing, of which I've been doing a lot, I downloaded <a href="http://nokia-n8-software.smartphoneware.com/screen_snap.php">ScreenSnap</a>. A note on this is that you can assign a hotbutton for taking a screenshot but since the N8 only has a few buttons, this isn't particularly helpful. There is, however, a delay which is great because you can set it, navigate to what you want and it takes a photo. A 10 second delay seems to work for me.<br />
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Up next will be some thoughts on the maps and navigations feature, the music and photo/video taking and editing. Stay tuned!<br />
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Lots more screen caps in my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/sets/72157625679789615/with/5349280279/">Flickr Set</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-19214755573766568222011-01-12T10:13:00.000-08:002011-01-12T10:13:09.179-08:00N8, An IntroductionThe good folks at <a href="http://www.womworld.com/nokia/">WOMWorld</a> contacted me just before Christmas offering a trial of the shiny and new Nokia N8, a phone that isn't exactly a toe-to-toe competitor with the iPhone4 (I think the <a href="http://the-marina.blogspot.com/2010/03/testing-period.html">N900</a> was supposed to play in that sandbox) but which offers one super spiffy feature for photo lovers: a 12MP built-in-camera. The phone does feature a few other notable <a href="http://europe.nokia.com/find-products/devices/nokia-n8/specifications">specifications</a> including microSD slot allowing for 32GB of additional storage (the phone is shipped with 16GB on board storage), universal miniUSB charging/transfer which is much handier than <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html">Apple</a>'s proprietary charger/transfer cable and perhaps the mother of coolest overkill specs: HDMI output for photos and video (which is captured at 720P quality).<br />
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I had to wait a few weeks to request the trial phone as a few months back I quietly purchased an iPhone4 which uses a micro-sim whereas the Nokia (and a number of other phones) uses a regular sim. I ordered my adapter from <a href="http://microsim-shop.com/">Micro-Sim Adapter</a> in the UK. It was cheap, quick and highly recommended around the web. I've now installed my microsim into the N8 with the adapter and it works perfectly. <br />
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I had some immediate reactions to the N8 and they weren't all as positive as I hoped for.<br />
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<b>The good:</b><br />
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- The N8 is comparable in size to the iPhone 4 but much lighter.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5347993355/" title="iPhone 4 & Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5347993355_e446c8f03d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="iPhone 4 & Nokia N8" /></a><br />
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- Responsive screen.<br />
- Destop widgets.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5348742627/" title="Horizontal Home Screen on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5045/5348742627_f153e3feb4.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Horizontal Home Screen on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
- 12MP camera which takes great photos (even though they don't look like much when you take them!)<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5348117647/" title="Snow! by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5348117647_ecba313612.jpg" width="500" height="281" alt="Snow!" /></a></center><br />
- MicroSD expansion slot for additional memory.<br />
- Updated Ovi Store with many more appliactions than I remember from my <a href="http://the-marina.blogspot.com/2008/09/another-birthday-another-gadget.html">N95 days</a>. <br />
- Customizable destop widgets (there's negative here and that is that the widgets are locked so unlike the N900 that allowed you to place your widgets and applications anywhere, you're limited in your customization options).<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349160359/" title="Edit Home Screen Widgets on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5349160359_cbdc34cb7d.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="Edit Home Screen Widgets on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
<b>The bad:</b><br />
<br />
- Running <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13970_7-10454064-78.html">Symbian ^3</a> for Nokia which isn't such a bad thing but which feels old after playing with the N900 for so long and after getting used to the iPhone OS which is its own beast. Apparently, this is the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/nokia-n8-to-be-final-symbian-device-in-n-series-all-meego-from/">last NSeries phote to be shipped with Symbian</a> which will be replaced by <a href="http://meego.com/">MeeGo</a> which is very exciting.<br />
- Battery life isn't great - full disclosure: this is an issue with all smartphones and not limited to the Nokia but it's still a negative.<br />
- Set-up of Wifi/Rogers Network data switching at home was a disaster (took three hours to figure out).<br />
- Keyboard is tight and hard to type on in landscape mode.<br />
- No full keyboard in portait mode - you just get the old numeric/text phone keyboard.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5349788456/" title="Keyboard in Portrait Mode on Nokia N8 by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5349788456_afce80f810.jpg" width="281" height="500" alt="Keyboard in Portrait Mode on Nokia N8" /></a></center><br />
- Navigating between opened apps is easy but getting to that screen is clumsy.<br />
<br />
I wasn't particularly impressed by the phone right out of the box but after installing a few must-have apps (a post on those coming up later), I'm starting to love this phone. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days.<br />
<br />
As per usual, I have also started a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/sets/72157625679789615/">Flickr Set</a> with lots of images and screencaps of the N8 in action.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-13071578841152134032011-01-08T01:29:00.000-08:002011-01-08T01:29:40.497-08:00Don't cry for me babyAt least I think that's what some men are saying because you see, one of the big piece of news floating around earlier this week is a <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-scientists-chemical-human.html">new study</a> outlining that women's tears contain a chemical that has adverse effects on men: it turns them off.<br />
<br />
Yup, it's true, apparently our tears are more advanced than men's. I overheard some discussion that this could be a step in the evolutionary ladder and that the tears are a way for women to combat aggression in men. It's definitely an interesting concept.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-58398666814245675422010-12-25T09:23:00.001-08:002010-12-25T09:23:00.701-08:00Merry Christmas!I'm a little ashamed to admit it but my holiday is never complete until I've played Boney M's "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Album_%28Boney_M._album%29">Christmas Album</a>" from cover to cover. <br />
<br />
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C7-4GC828rM?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C7-4GC828rM?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday with friends and family!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-1365643358726479252010-12-23T12:06:00.000-08:002010-12-23T12:06:53.830-08:00The RushLate in the evening last night, in a moment of delirium likely brought on by a combination of cold medicine and nail polish fumes, I agreed to make the trip to Metrotown with my little sister for some late night Christmas shopping.<br />
<br />
It's the first time I've ever partaken in the tradition (for some) of late night shopping and I was expecting huge crowds and big lines. The mall was busy but nothing like I expected. It wasn't even Sunday shopping busy - it was more like Monday evening busy (I should know - I've spent quite a few Monday evenings walking though the mall on my way to the movies). I was done my shopping, just needed a few tins for Christmas goodies but sis hadn't even started. The power shopper in us, likely inherited from our mother, kicked in and we completed in record time. We arrived on site at 9:30 and by 10:45 we were on the bus heading home. Not too shabby!<br />
<br />
The only thing left is to wrap!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeKchAdnEFUq6i3_PbOuMb8U9Xz2bLMZfCNZJZa4tSXWK29TgQmRR1MYomOFUJo_TCIFnkCVImN6G3D7p3fGWa6cOmukUNi0596wkudLUaYse7MnoikAA7DCUeUMwjr9wMePGgQ/s1600/shopping-logo-tss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeKchAdnEFUq6i3_PbOuMb8U9Xz2bLMZfCNZJZa4tSXWK29TgQmRR1MYomOFUJo_TCIFnkCVImN6G3D7p3fGWa6cOmukUNi0596wkudLUaYse7MnoikAA7DCUeUMwjr9wMePGgQ/s400/shopping-logo-tss.jpg" width="373" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-50025082596431229012010-11-04T12:16:00.000-07:002010-11-04T12:16:59.043-07:00Road to recoveryMy bounce back from VIFF seems to get longer and longer with each passing year. Granted, there was a lot going on post-festival so it wasn't because I was tired or anything, just the way the cookie crumbled. If anything, every festival year seems to get easier and easier which is a great thing. That said, it doesn't mean I'm immune to illness and last week I caught the stomach flu.<br />
<br />
It's an ugly little bugger, one that hung around longer than the pharmacist suggested, even though I followed all of the "rules" for getting better faster. I was so ill I stayed home on Monday and in almost a week, I haven't had more than chicken soup to eat. I did chance it on Tuesday with a slice of plain pizza and last night at Dale's I *really* pushed the envelope with a doughnut (it was heavenly and delicious). Definitely on the road to recovery but I'm excited to have some real food.<br />
<br />
Other than that, it's been a quiet few weeks. Busy with work, busy with movies (I've pretty much given up on catching up)... just plain busy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-76620925002551995262010-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:002010-10-25T10:53:55.909-07:00Internationally RenownedMy name at least. A UK friend sent over this image over the weekend. I'd seen my name in big letters before, usually near the water, but this is the first time I've seen it used for a restaurant. Made me smile.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QHE3E4gvRsg8A4lG8WFK1YM_GUb8LFJ0I04gYV7dgNtlu7T9l-sL0VyOaruP9-zEQ80QwOhyDmIXnhHtqCQF3k4xMXIkZ_Pr-U5reZq0cjaBpQ-3zDjmUvXLF4gcJniFmlzKtQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QHE3E4gvRsg8A4lG8WFK1YM_GUb8LFJ0I04gYV7dgNtlu7T9l-sL0VyOaruP9-zEQ80QwOhyDmIXnhHtqCQF3k4xMXIkZ_Pr-U5reZq0cjaBpQ-3zDjmUvXLF4gcJniFmlzKtQ/s400/photo.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-90006424896990473242010-10-22T16:05:00.000-07:002010-10-22T16:05:22.762-07:00KFF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vpbpb5nic3g7KdFX9pbNXqdyLtkyDCqZZ9T0ELN_8-oPiMXQ_1pllDT1NfLYDQUJ2YoskA_jsxRMbdQY0Jj92B2yoQVe4KSfV6pEnE2UhTtzxx38J0FYD_6SMb9o-3OEdX1okw/s1600/keanu_reeves_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vpbpb5nic3g7KdFX9pbNXqdyLtkyDCqZZ9T0ELN_8-oPiMXQ_1pllDT1NfLYDQUJ2YoskA_jsxRMbdQY0Jj92B2yoQVe4KSfV6pEnE2UhTtzxx38J0FYD_6SMb9o-3OEdX1okw/s400/keanu_reeves_11.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-59978353898181682992010-10-21T09:59:00.000-07:002010-10-21T09:59:14.480-07:00In search of the perfect headphonesAs someone who commutes on public transit (lots) and is often out and about on the streets of the City, I find being plugged into music a huge salvation from nagging chatter, particularly from folks on the SkyTrain and/or bus who seem to think they're riding transit alone. I don't really want to hear about your great hookup last night. Yuk.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/2733657667/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Zune by themarina, on Flickr"><img alt="Zune" height="180" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2733657667_b1391edc4b_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>Over two years ago, I picked up a set of Panasonic headphones at, of all places, Walmart, which I absolutely loved. They looked great (a wicked retro sort of look), fit fantastic and sounded good too but after two years of nearly daily wear, they needed to be replaced. They still work great but the leather (likely synthetic) on the ear cups started to peel away so that every time I put them on, I was left with an ear full of black bits.<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago, I purchased a set of Roxy headphones on sale and what a mistake that was. They're cute but too small and sit on my ears rather than hugging them which makes wearing them for extended periods of time really uncomfortable and to boot, I had forgotten what a pain it was to have cables coming out of both sides of you headphones, I felt like I was choking. I hated them so much, I put them aside and started using my ear buds which also have great sound but which I don't like wearing for more than a few days at a time. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMbJtqaMg1Uvc_M7D5-6FdqfpZIm0to6Dk_PFMcFFa24Jzooqj3C1VbGHtLx-_KyFUXEWNATnK7rcNCGJdJbF4AqxV_uLDD-MgC9eWGIeTvi4uZOFM1LNirqxdllULmkoETtiqA/s1600/headphones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMbJtqaMg1Uvc_M7D5-6FdqfpZIm0to6Dk_PFMcFFa24Jzooqj3C1VbGHtLx-_KyFUXEWNATnK7rcNCGJdJbF4AqxV_uLDD-MgC9eWGIeTvi4uZOFM1LNirqxdllULmkoETtiqA/s200/headphones.jpg" width="200" /></a>Walking to the Skytrain on Tuesday after a great hot dog stop at <a href="http://www.dougiedog.com/">Dougie Dog</a> (Go there. It's <b>awesome</b>), I spotted something in the window of Urban Outfitters that looked remarkably like the headphones I so love. So after much searching and wishing I could find a pair of replacement headphones, my dream came true. I popped into the shop last night and picked up a pair of Panasonic RP HTX7-K1, simply put, the best headphone I've ever had. <br />
<br />
There was a bit of a markup on these now nearly 3 year old headphones but when you find something you love as much as I loved my headphones, you're willing to pay a little bit extra. I am very, very happy with my purchase. While at Urban Outfitters, I discovered something else, they have a cool assortment of electronics, mostly imported cameras, a few of which I wouldn't mind getting my hands on. They have a great selection <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?_DARGS=/urban/catalog/common/highlited_itemcount.jsp_A&_DAV=false&itemCount=80&navCount=&navAction=jump&id=A_ENT_CAMERAS_PHOTO&101018apt">on their website</a> and a smaller selection at their shop. I'm particularly interested in the <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=80&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=14548796&parentid=A_ENT_CAMERAS_PHOTO&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,&navCount=14&navAction=jump&color=&pushId=A_ENT_CAMERAS_PHOTO&popId=APARTMENT_MEDIA&prepushId=&selectedProductSize=">Diana Dreamer</a> and the <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=80&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=18820282&parentid=A_ENT_CAMERAS_PHOTO&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,&navCount=14&navAction=jump&color=&pushId=A_ENT_CAMERAS_PHOTO&popId=APARTMENT_MEDIA&prepushId=&selectedProductSize=">Instax</a> (which is like a Polaroid - prints credit card size pictures) is awesome! Definitely going to have to check these out in more detail.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-36763730731305343262010-10-19T13:37:00.000-07:002010-10-19T13:37:53.631-07:00Hello World!It feels like an eternity since I've thought of anything beyond sleeping, eating and watching movies. VIFF was a whirlwind that continues to plague me. I still have a few films to watch and a few reviews to write but for the most part, the festival is finished and I've started my two week detox. No movie meetups for a while though that doesn't mean I'm not watching stuff - there's so much to catch up on I'm not even sure where to start. Likely with the oldest on the shelf. That's as good a place as any.<br />
<br />
I'm hopeful things really get back into some sort of norm in the coming days but until then, I'm keeping my head down, catching up on sleep and generally just taking it easy, getting rid of zombie Marina who crept in to take my regular place for two weeks and who has slowly been receding into the background.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-89468821519881578152010-09-29T08:52:00.000-07:002010-09-29T08:52:24.719-07:00Birthday WishesYesterday I celebrated 31 years of living on this earth. 31 years of family, friends, adventure, travel, new languages, news jobs, films, music... 31 year of life.<br />
<br />
The last few years, getting older has simply meant adding a number to my age. That extra number doesn't actually affect my day to day, what I do or what I want to do, other than to remind me that there's still much I want to achieve before the lights go down (which I hope won't happen for a long, long time).<br />
<br />
Thank you to everyone who sent me good wishes - you all made my day that much more memorable though I take joy from seeing you all regularly. Talking, eating, drinking and laughing. That's what's <b>really</b> important and I thank you all for sharing that with me every single day.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-27847901505909574512010-09-24T09:29:00.002-07:002010-09-24T09:29:50.989-07:00KFF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkheFCtmGI7JYWsiylDaqlUa8iGqD-SeEOiCFkralTA7OOCPfIeLMkZYYwwtoG0uev7XbrVyF7r3Tfgq_A7jkRVZLNdd_DE_mJvAYoS03U3xeyZtv_X7L9mU3kW7oIpxthWsDfXQ/s1600/Keanu-Loiters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkheFCtmGI7JYWsiylDaqlUa8iGqD-SeEOiCFkralTA7OOCPfIeLMkZYYwwtoG0uev7XbrVyF7r3Tfgq_A7jkRVZLNdd_DE_mJvAYoS03U3xeyZtv_X7L9mU3kW7oIpxthWsDfXQ/s400/Keanu-Loiters.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-49662037278785393732010-09-23T13:20:00.000-07:002010-09-23T13:20:52.607-07:0030 Seconds to Mars @ The Queen Elizabeth Theatre<b>Special K:</b> Wanna see Jordan Catalano?<br />
<b>Me:</b> Wha?????<br />
<b>Special K:</b> Jared Leto. You know, the hot dude from MSCL? He's coming to town with his band.<br />
<b>Me:</b> You don't have to tell me twice. Never heard their stuff. I'll check them out but yeah, I wanna see JORDAN!!!<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Conversation not factual.</i></span><br />
<br />
That's sort of how we ended up at the <a href="http://thirtysecondstomars.thisisthehive.net/blog/">30 Seconds to Mars</a>. Special K said Jordan Catalano and I was all over that like a dirty shirt. Seriously, how could I pass <a href="http://www.popserious.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/jaredleto.jpg">this</a> up?<br />
<br />
We had dinner prior to the show at <a href="http://jimmystaphouse.com/">Jimmys</a>. Not our first choice but <a href="http://www.dhmbars.ca/librarySquare0HomeGallery.aspx">Library Square</a> was packed (hockey game) and I'd been to Jimmys before. After a nice dinner full of me bitching, we headed over to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (another not so great venue for rock music) with plenty of time to check out the opening act.<br />
<br />
From what Special K tells me, <a href="http://www.fameisdead.com/">Neon Trees</a> have a single which is on radio rotation but since the radio and I don't mix, I'd never heard of these guys. They were already a step ahead when their drummer Elaine Bradley came out. Female drummer: thumbs up from me. They've got an interesting pop/electro sound which I didn't mind and their lead vocalist Tyler Glenn certainly is an interesting character. Their second to last song was one I really enjoyed though I'm having a hard time tracking it down. If anyone can help, here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRjAAjFEcf0&feature=related">portion</a> that was recorded at a show earlier this year. And no, it's not called "Hole in My Heart" (at least from what I can find...unless it's a cover).<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5017540027/" title="Neon Trees by themarina, on Flickr"><img alt="Neon Trees" height="376" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5017540027_4f4512938b.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
After a very long set-up, the house lights went down and the crowd surged forth (forget the fact that there are seats bolted to the floor) to get a glimpse of 30 Seconds to Mars. I've been <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/themarina1">listening</a> to a fair bit of the band the last few days and have come to love their most recent album "This Is War" (particularly <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWEIaa9Qdvk">this track</a>) but I wasn't really prepared and completely unsure of what to expect. Would they be any good? Are they one of these bands that sounds great in studio but suck live? I had nothing to worry about because the band blew the roof off the Queen E. <br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5018146806/" title="30 Seconds to Mars by themarina, on Flickr"><img alt="30 Seconds to Mars" height="376" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5018146806_c7c629fccf.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
Leto came on stage sporting sunglasses white jacket and fingerless gloves (Diva! Or maybe channelling MJ?). From the get go the crowd was pretty energetic but not enough for Leto who also happens to be an excellent showman. Partway though the show (through a song actually) the lights sort of came up and he basically coaxed the crowd to move closer and put some energy into it. His commentary was amusing and effective and when the band resumed, the crowd was even more alive.<br />
<br />
Partway through the show, as if to prove that he can and does indeed sing, Leto came on stage alone with an acoustic guitar and played three songs, two of which were selected by the audience. Yes, the guy can sing.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5017541067/" title="30 Seconds to Mars by themarina, on Flickr"><img alt="30 Seconds to Mars" height="376" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/5017541067_565b92ae45.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
Soon after this, Leto really got into the action, jumping off the stage and making his way through the adoring crowd. Like we didn't already know it, yes, he's very handsome. I should know, he was mere feet from me. It was super exciting and I'm over it now (<b>not</b>).<br />
<br />
The band finished the show with "Kings and Queens" for which they selected audience members to join the band on stage. It was pretty awesome.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5017541945/" title="30 Seconds to Mars by themarina, on Flickr"><img alt="30 Seconds to Mars" height="376" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/5017541945_67e555e1dd.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
I was more than impressed by the band. There was a real sense of family in the audience and though it was a big weird hearing Leto constantly say "true believers" (too reminiscent of a cult for my liking), it's not often you get that sort of feeling from an audience as diverse as this one. There was a father and his young son sitting next to me and even dad got into the action partway through the show. It was infectious. <br />
<br />
Adding to the feeling of "family," you should check out the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1342307@N20/pool/with/5012744239/">official tour flickr group</a> where fans can upload their pictures from the shows. There are some much better shots in that pool (though I've yet to see any Vancouver photos). They also encourage their fans to send them video of their performances (you can do so <a href="http://thirtysecondstomars.thisisthehive.net/blog/2010/02/19/live-video-archive/">here</a>).<br />
<br />
Even though it was a short show (about 90 minutes), it was a darn good one. I'll definitely be taking these guys in again though I hope next time they perform somewhere else (the Commodore or Venue would be great!).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-64050796342810815062010-09-20T10:56:00.000-07:002010-09-20T10:56:38.967-07:00Sweet Thing @ The VogueIt's official. I'm a big Sweet Thing fan. Like BIG. How do I know? 1) This is the second time (<a href="http://the-marina.blogspot.com/2010/06/sweet-thing-media-club.html">the first time was at the Media Club in June</a>) I've seen the band in one year and 2) this concert marked only the second time in my life that I purchased tickets to see an opening band (the first time was NIN and David Bowie in 1995 which doesn't really count 'cause NIN was as much the headliner as Bowie was). In reality, the title of this post <i>should</i> be "Justin Nozuka & Guests at The Vogue" but I knew (and continue to know) little about Justin Nozuka aside from the fact that he's Canadian and that I've seen him talk in the pre-show tape at the movie theatres. Yeah, well versed.<br />
<br />
We hit Cafe Crepe for a pre-show dinner (yummy panini with crispy fries and a cold beer after a long day at the office) before heading to the show. Now, The Vogue isn't necessarily a bad venue but it <b>is</b> a bad venue for live music. I may be old and it may be uncomfortable to stand for long periods of time but at shows, when you're moving around, it's not so bad. But when you have a band as high energy as Sweet Thing, it's strange being glued to your seat.<br />
<br />
The band took the stage at 7:30 sharp and played a rocking 30 minute set. As good as the first time we saw them but this is definitely not the venue for them. I'm not much of a radio listener so other than the web sensations, I have no idea what's popular but I have heard Sweet Thing on CBC and if the fan reception at this show was any indication, they'll be making a pretty big splash on the music front in the coming months. I only hope they headline their next Vancouver stop and that the show is at a better venue.<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5009040762/" title="Sweet Thing @ The Vogue by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5009040762_e029318532.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Sweet Thing @ The Vogue" /></a></center><br />
They finished with one of my favourite tunes off of their debut album which is out now (more details on that <a href="http://www.sweetthingmusic.com/">here</a>) "Change of Seasons." Sounded pretty much like this:<br />
<br />
<center><object width="500" height="306"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XcCwaekBSkg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XcCwaekBSkg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="306"></embed></object></center><br />
After a short stage clearing, Justin Nozuka and his band came on to the glee of the adoring fans (lots of girls for Mr. Nozuka). After one song, I mentioned to Special K that I thought his music was "music to make love to" but really, that's not the best explanation. It's a mix of country, blues, afro/jamaican beats that are just a little too mellow for me. There was one tune which was heavy on the instrumentation that we both really enjoyed but after 5 songs, we called it a day and left partway through the set. We came for what we wanted to see. No use in sitting through a show neither of us was enjoying. It's not a case of a bad performance as he's certainly a talented individual with a great voice; just a case of "not my cup of tea."<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/5008434953/" title="Justin Nozuka @ The Vogue by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5008434953_dbdca1ac99.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Justin Nozuka @ The Vogue" /></a></center><br />
One thing worth mentioning is that Special K noted that in some parts, Justin was reminiscent of blues rocker(s) Kenny Wayne Shepperd. She's absolutely right and if he had stayed with that sort of style, I would have made it through the show. If you don't remember him, check out this wicked live rendition "Blue on Black" which should shake up your memory.<br />
<br />
<center><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ee735pZ6kxk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ee735pZ6kxk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center><br />
Overall, a fun night, even if we didn't get a "full" show.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-29824627928086452292010-09-10T23:27:00.000-07:002010-09-10T23:27:43.417-07:00Move done. Time to relax.It's been so long, I'd almost forgotten how to update my blog. Seriously.<br />
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We moved two weeks ago. Actually, it felt like we were moving for three weeks before and one week after (which, in fact, we were as we had possession of the rental property early and were able to start moving boxed in right away and afterwards...there's the cleanup). Thanks to some fantastic friends who came out to help (I don't we could have done it without Khaled and Kathy), we managed to get it all done. By the time we returned the truck, the garage was full of stuff and the front yard too, covered with blue tarps to protect it from the rain. The place looked like a trailer park for the first week we lived here. <br />
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The weekend after the move hubby, mom and I spent 5 hours taking everything out of the garage and re-organizing it to make more room. The day of the move we were in such a hurry we pretty much just dumped everything in and you couldn't walk in there. After hours of work on Saturday, the garage was so organized you could almost park a second car in there. <br />
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We had hired movers to move some of my parents large furniture and in the process, they dropped the top of the dining room table down the stairs, breaking the table and damaging the entry.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-Pyn30rN1EUAie00pONPO6Rw-_gJlyihlF8cdCNbPknMMTSwqaERXdjZ5cG1YaIrgNpw8TaqDucG0xCVLPc2KlDtzNgDW1eR3u5RR-rO7jgQHE5Mmb49EuIr7LbvkrzbswzTlA/s1600/fail-owned-moving-wc-fail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-Pyn30rN1EUAie00pONPO6Rw-_gJlyihlF8cdCNbPknMMTSwqaERXdjZ5cG1YaIrgNpw8TaqDucG0xCVLPc2KlDtzNgDW1eR3u5RR-rO7jgQHE5Mmb49EuIr7LbvkrzbswzTlA/s320/fail-owned-moving-wc-fail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Not exactly but just as bad.</span></div><br />
It's been nearly three weeks and we're still waiting for the insurance company to send a carpenter out to fix the entryway. Thankfully, the new owners have been very understanding and we haven't had any problems. I just hope that it gets sorted out soon - one less thing to worry about.<br />
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In eight months, we'll be doing it all over again. <br />
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Other than the move, not much going on. We've had a few stumbling stones adjusting to the new place but nothing too serious. I'll share some of the nightmare stories next week.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-36712054895986562562010-08-27T10:29:00.000-07:002010-08-27T10:29:00.728-07:00KFF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGyLdT6UI3WkFOp8xgaJULVNPYyHvXfm_3fjiKG7jqVlchyphenhyphenKKczB7O6-R6Jr1EfnptleXCLEqkKe2bEyFyEJnO2VBbKw9fdLMdUlIBPJPzL_5faMCG5JBEzRzAoU6CVSO1qxoAA/s1600/Show_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGyLdT6UI3WkFOp8xgaJULVNPYyHvXfm_3fjiKG7jqVlchyphenhyphenKKczB7O6-R6Jr1EfnptleXCLEqkKe2bEyFyEJnO2VBbKw9fdLMdUlIBPJPzL_5faMCG5JBEzRzAoU6CVSO1qxoAA/s400/Show_001.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-87349092480566185162010-08-20T10:28:00.000-07:002010-08-20T10:28:00.542-07:00KFF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ao3tT0BEYEy_hVoaOhRjKtlrxs7rkpBscjVwFu-Eq7GRCXmU8rc4HsDSR79uKZDnEqygUGTVpWkw_-4YeCoUy_zOHnmQg1dioGDwrQq0yx4HvYjRhwBz5KkdHHsBi5oxv-PTow/s1600/bio01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ao3tT0BEYEy_hVoaOhRjKtlrxs7rkpBscjVwFu-Eq7GRCXmU8rc4HsDSR79uKZDnEqygUGTVpWkw_-4YeCoUy_zOHnmQg1dioGDwrQq0yx4HvYjRhwBz5KkdHHsBi5oxv-PTow/s400/bio01.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-2929441519237064622010-08-17T12:15:00.002-07:002010-08-17T16:17:14.146-07:00More Langley AdventureWhile out in Langley on Saturday, we decided to give something else a shot. A few years ago we were out there with our coupon book trying to find Choo Choo’s Restaurant which is, apparently, famous for their home made burgers and fries. We failed miserably on our first attempt and the coupon expired before we had a chance to use it but the restaurant was listed in our Entertainment book again this year and since we were already out there and looking for a place to eat, we thought we’d give the search a second try.<br />
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After consulting a Google map, we finally found the restaurant along a strip in Langley city which is lined with a great assortment of nifty shops. Before exploring, we had a nice lunch at Choo Choo’s, a place very reminiscent of the Old Spaghetti Factory but with a better selection of food. <br />
<center> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898147497/" title="Choo Choo's by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4898147497_6a04186ed6.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Choo Choo's" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898146415/" title="Choo Choo's by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4898146415_493d0b766f.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Choo Choo's" /></a></center><br />
A nice homey feel, the place was still quiet when we sat down for an early lunch but started to pick-up just as we were leaving. The food was delicious though hubby found his yummy looking burger a little on the greasy side one thing we did agree on was that their home made fries are super tasty.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898737812/" title="Choo Choo's by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4898737812_1f2a41aae4.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Choo Choo's" /></a>Mushroom burger with homemade patty and fries.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898145539/" title="Choo Choo's by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4898145539_8a8e678fdd.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Choo Choo's" /></a>Two piece cod fish and chips.</center><br />
While walking back to the car we popped into <a href=http://krazybobs.com/>Krazy Bob’s Music Emporium</a>. Mostly it was me saying “OMG we have to go in here! Check out the cool records in the window!” This is no preparation for what was awaiting us inside.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898746564/" title="Krazy Bob's Music Emporium by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4898746564_d8b3c65bef.jpg" width="376" height="500" alt="Krazy Bob's Music Emporium" /></a></center><br />
Wall to wall crates of records. All of them for sale. Krazy Bob was super nice, and encouraged me to guy a record player to which I smiled and looked at hubby as he’s the one holding me back on that purchase. We wondered around ooing and awing the various bins, hubby constantly saying that he remembered this or that record. It was pretty awesome.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898745520/" title="Krazy Bob's Music Emporium by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4898745520_75e454b1f1.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Krazy Bob's Music Emporium" /></a>A tiny taste.</center><br />
Basically, it was a super wicked Saturday in Langley. Our next day-long exploration trip is going to be Fort Langley. It's been years since I've been there. Hopefully the weather holds up until after the move and we can head out there during the September long weekend!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-59402351024099388432010-08-16T11:58:00.001-07:002010-08-16T12:24:51.802-07:00The best place on earthMonths ago, Dale shared with me the awesomeness of Toy Traders. He loved the place so much, and for good reason too, that he posted this <a href="http://www.digitaldoodles.com/dp/200906/toy-traders">awesome entry</a> on his trip out there, complete with jaw dropping images.<br />
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I'd been meaning check it out for months but hadn't had a chance to go out there with hubby but Saturday, we decided to take a trip out to <a href="http://www.rcpitstop.com/">RC Pitstop</a> who moved to a bigger, better spot a few years ago and have grown their shop quite dramatically from years ago when we met the then new owners as they started their business. There was supposed to be some racing going on in the parking lot of the shop and indeed, there was a bit of activity but since we were already out there, I convinced hubby to make a pit stop at Toy Traders and wow, are we ever happy we did.<br />
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Yes, Dale's pictures are awesome but you seriously can't begin to grasp the greatness of this shop until you're actually inside and wondering around constantly picking your jaw up off the floor.<br />
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898758408/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4898758408_29f4ec35e0.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Toy Traders" /></a></center><br />
Though it looks pretty inconspicuous from the outside, housed inside of this plain whitewash is a greatness of epic proportions. Huge dioramas of Star Wars, GI Joe and Transformers are only the beginning with a shop wall to wall full of both kids toys (new and used) and collectibles the likes of which you'll only ever see at collectors shows. Yes, this is <b>the</b> coolest collectors corner in the Lower Mainland. It is truly bad ass.<br />
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Here are a few images that I snapped under the radar (don't arrest me please!).<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898162731/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4898162731_328099fb63.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Toy Traders" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898754504/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4898754504_5c5a1b8cf4.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Toy Traders" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898753512/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4898753512_26ed278446.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Toy Traders" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898752020/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4898752020_7e2f41605d.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Toy Traders" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898750456/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4898750456_f9d1620c2f.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Toy Traders" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898749176/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4898749176_8429045ce3.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Toy Traders" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898154145/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4898154145_19542efdf4.jpg" width="500" height="376" alt="Toy Traders" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themarina/4898748436/" title="Toy Traders by themarina, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4898748436_1979cea488.jpg" width="376" height="500" alt="Toy Traders" /></a></center><br />
Thanks to Dale I also know that they take Canadian Tire Money. Only adds to the awesomeness.<br />
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If you're interested (and you should be) in checking out the goodness for yourself, you can do so at:<br />
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<b>Toy Traders</b><br />
#150 – 19888 Langley Bypass [<a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=19888+Langley+Bypass,+langley&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=38.954927,75.410156&ie=UTF8&ll=49.112955,-122.672674&spn=0.153714,0.294571&z=12">Google Map</a>]<br />
Langley, BC V3A 4Y1<br />
Phone: 604-532-9516<br />
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And if you still want more, <a href="http://www.snowtroopers.ca/toytraders.html">Snow Troopers</a> have some more great pictures.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16515961.post-2344224207345430972010-08-13T10:27:00.000-07:002010-08-13T10:27:00.239-07:00KFF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVUEBXXdwGewlFqPdRmf4l4NDkbeOXizsP21VAibFqS8aCxL51h7BpLCKMxzEOL3aIJG8iadPagec_Yi6k9vvGKQ-OV6NzqvIdgz1y7VFjNZKmq-MGDOAixa5mmMt_51BF_ak2w/s1600/018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVUEBXXdwGewlFqPdRmf4l4NDkbeOXizsP21VAibFqS8aCxL51h7BpLCKMxzEOL3aIJG8iadPagec_Yi6k9vvGKQ-OV6NzqvIdgz1y7VFjNZKmq-MGDOAixa5mmMt_51BF_ak2w/s400/018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13694038143796175251noreply@blogger.com0