BT Edmonton Blogs

Friday night the Hydeaway was hit with the total sex tour, featuring Sex Negatives and Totally Ripped from Vancouver.

Calgary’s Puberty also took the stage and brought on a onslaught of experimental rock and roll.

Earlier in the night Pear Hands made us feel a bit guilty about not giving U2 more money.

Zebra Pulse opened the curtains of the evening unveiling Circus Fables to the masses.

Oh, wait did I just use a picture taken by Angela Mason? lets see if she notices. The art up in the Hydeaway and on the windows is pretty cool, if you get the chance go and check it out. Also I heard the news that Cecil, an excellent local promoter behind the excellent Push Pins events, is moving away.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rivercityruckus/

I managed to gain 15 or 20 new “best friends” over the weekend.

My wife Kari and I spent some time at St. Albert’s Lions Park for the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society’s (SCARS) annual “Tails on the Trails” fundraiser. People packed the park to celebrate SCARS’ on-going efforts to rehabilitate and find foster/permanent homes for injured animals in Northern Alberta.

Last year, “Tails on the Trails” raised $25,000 for the charity – to put “need” in perspective, SCARS spent $175,000 in vet bills alone in 2008. Operating costs run about a half-million dollars annually.

We spent the afternoon hearing success stories (many of the families who adopt pets through SCARS bring the animals back to the fundraisers so volunteers and foster parents can “catch up” with the dogs they nursed back to health), and going for walks with pups like Tanner, Springer and Tuck who are still waiting for permanent homes.

One of the most remarkable elements of SCARS is its ability to place more than 500 animals in new homes every year, despite lacking the facilities and budget of similar, larger organizations. The group proudly claims to have avoided euthanizing a single animal (with the exception of extreme cases, where it’s the most humane option) in its seven year history. SCARS has also partnered with two pounds up North previously burdened by high kill rates, and helped keep their number at ZERO for the past two years.

The group’s volunteers deserve a lot of credit for their efforts in providing rehabilitation and foster care for pups who need it most.

Kudos!

rpj

Guy Laliberte has never been afraid to dream. From his humble start as a street performer, Laliberte founded what is now the enormous arts empire known as the Cirque du Soleil. Along the way, Laliberte contributed countless dollars and hours to various charities close to his heart, earning the Order of Canada .

But nothing Mr. Laliberte has experienced to this point could possibly compare to what he’s doing next: blasting off into space aboard a Russian rocket and spending 12 days at the International Space Station. He’ll become the first Canadian civilian in space, embarking on the first social mission to extend beyond our ozone layer.

We don’t know how much the Quebec billionaire shelled out for his extra-atmospheric adventure…we do know former pop star Lance Bass negotiated a trip to space with the Russians for $20M (the plans fell flat before blast-off). But as you’ll find out in our interview, there’s a reason why he sees the space mission as priceless. Click on the video below to check it out…

rpj.

I can’t count the number of times someone has commented on the hour we have to be up to do this job, and has asked me how in the world we do it. To me, the answer is very simple. I meet some of the world’s most fascinating people, and learn something new every single day. I don’t know a lot of other people who can say that, and it is all the motivation I need to stop hitting snooze and head to the station for another day’s adventure.

Meeting Deepak Chopra was a thrill and and honour for me.
I think his messages of Peace bear repeating, so I have included the interview in full below.

May is over now. The snow is gone perhaps for four straight months. The trees in my backyard are raining sap on me. I have uploaded a bunch of pictures taken at the various events I attended. I would feel a bit strange talking about them in great detail, I don’t want to be a guy talking only about his gigs. They were the only shows i was able to go to, but all of the bands that we shared the bill with were great. Besides it is mostly my relatives reading this right!? I am going to start by talking about The Possessed and Feral Children.

The night before Zebra Pulse traveled to Vancouver to play a show and watch Animal Collective, The Ramshackle Day Parade once again thundered out of the Hydeaway. After the always excellent Open Mic, Jaded Hipster Choir rocked the house with his violin, synth and loop station. After that Ryan, Mehta, and Jess from  Saskatoon took to the vast  foot  off  the  ground stage as “The Possessed” A band containing Ryan who is Feral Children that wowed the crowd with a haunting set of Sask brand rock. They definitely stole the show.

Zebra Pulse preformed an exorcism leaving the crowd with a bit of ear stigmata but it took Feral Children to save our souls that night. I was lucky enough to catch a performance by FC on CJSR before the show so I was pretty excited for the set. He was up there with a sampler and a couple other boxes but what came out of the speakers sounded like a full band. I am pretty excited about the EP he just finished recording and is soon to be released.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rivercityruckus/page2/

http://www.myspace.com/feralinchildren

Check out some pictures taken this month of special moments here and of when Zebra Pulse went to Vancouver. Also Take a listen to Feral Children’s myspace.This is part one of may is over now. Stay tuned for Gold Rush adventures/misadventures, and Zebra road trip.

“I just came here to nibble on some toes, and meet me some Jillian.”

Another week, another goldmine of steamy scenes, outrageous quotes…and if you’re Crazy David, a few more generously-poured cocktails.

Yes, we’re talking The Bachelorette on Citytv. A guilty indulgence, to be sure…and proof positive chicks still dig dudes with ‘tude. How else would you explain David surviving another round of cuts? Gone is nice guy Brad, Tanner F (Who?) and Sasha – one of my early picks to go all the way.

As we do every Tuesday morning at 7:40, we welcomed our esteemed “Panelistas” to the show…click on the video below to hear their takes on week three!

rpj

Happy Place

I almost don’t want to write anything .. so as not to disturb this unbelievable peace and quiet.   So I’ll type quietly.   Mickey and his wife Candy were the lucky ducks sharing a moment with that loon at North Leland Lakes, just this side of heaven.   This is “mere” miles away from the border of Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
DID YOU KNOW?   There’s only one way to get there — that’s on a float plane.   Well, there are other ways I suppose, but it ’shore’ is nice to get dropped off, supplies and all, and the only worries you have are which fish you will eat for breakfast, lunch, and supper.   There are some mighty fine healthy lake trout, walleye, and pike in them-there waters!   My mouth is watering with the images of Mickey and Candy throwing out their lines, feeling that flutter of a bite, giving a little tug, and hauling in the first catch of the day.   Sigh.        
 We invite you to become a member of our FRESH AIR PHOTO club.   All you have to do is point and shoot.   -Anything showing Mother Nature or her creatures will do!!!

Moose! No Squirrel?

One of my favorite creatures is the Moose.   Elisha is fortunate, she sees this quite often outside her house in Entwistle.

DID YOU KNOW?   Moose are big vegetarians.   They eat small plants and the twigs and bark of trees.   And when I say “big” I’m talking up to 6 feet tall and 11hundred pounds.   They are the largest member of the deer family – but it’s their antlers that set them apart.   They have the broad palms, not the narrow beams and forks.

Oh, and this important reminder from all wildlife officials:  Never approach wildlife!

PLEASE SEND US YOUR FRESH AIR PHOTO(S).
YOUR PIC WILL BE SHOWCASED RIGHT HERE ON MY BLOG, AND WILL BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT ON BREAKFAST TELEVISION.    FRESH AIR PHOTOS AIR ON BT, EVERY MORNING AT 7:10am.