The Allied Beauty Association threw their annual Calgary trade show at the Roundup Centre today, bringing in some of the best and brightest in cosmetics and aesthetics. The cutting edge (har har har) of hair care was present, and several new hair styles and colours were on display. Strangely enough, I was a hair model for the show. Photos and more under the fold.
I had been approached by the hairdressers in the salon below my office.
Senator Patrick Burns was the Bill Gates of meat-packing almost 100 years ago. Located a short walk from the SAIT C-Train station, the beautiful rock garden named in his honour is a little hidden jewel in the Kensington area. More photos and trivia under the fold.
The plaque for Patrick Burns says he “mixed farming, ranching, and processing industries.” Having done none of the three, I’ll just assume that this must’ve been quite the accomplishment.
I took some photos and video of Sunwapta Falls, a beautiful waterfall in Jasper Park. More pictures and video under the fold.
Parks Canada - Sunwapta Falls
(EDIT - The Lido Cafe is now back up and good to go - the AHS notice was simply regarding the renovations)
There’s nothing more irritating than when you have your heart set on dining out at a particular Calgary restaurant and find that it is closed. On the Lido’s front door is a notice by Alberta Health Services that the restaurant is closed. While not technically in the downtown, the Lido Cafe in Sunnyside was considered by many a d-spot that had its charm with the greasy-spoon diner feel and varied menu items (think Chinese food with your baked potato).
I’ve heard that newspapers are reaching the end of their lifespan. However, as I finished reading the Sunday Edition of the New York Times in full, I have mixed feelings about the state of newspapers. The consistency and quality of lots of daily locals has been going down over time with staff cuts, and many papers are now using the Associated Press and other wire services over local content. The New York Times still shines as a beacon of quality, thought, and other newspapers should study the Times to see the quality they’ve maintained.
Since TD Square became a scene out of the movie Brazil, shop owners have taken a hit. Recently, the Play store closed it’s doors (or perhaps more accurately, had the doors shut on them). While it wasn’t the cheapest music store in Calgary, it was clean and had a decent selection of music. They had been sliding into selling DVD’s and T-shirts, and towards the end were having some pretty crazy sales.
Tomkins Park was lit up with over 200 people holding candles as the annual Take Back the Night protest gripped Calgary’s 17th Street. Over 10,000 women and children checked into women’s shelters last year (not including those turned away), and the crowd turned up September 22nd, 2009 in solidarity against domestic violence. As the children ran along the back of the crowd, they didn’t know the gravity of the statistics being mentioned during the evening.
Did you know that you can flicker light at the optic nerve, sending data like a modem straight to the brain? Neuro-hacking is starting to draw interest, but there has been work on it for centuries. Brion Gysin, an artist who rubbed elbows with William S. Burroughs and other (now famous) underground artists and poets, designed a nifty hack called the Dream Machine (also known as a ‘dreamachine’). Video and plans underneath the fold.
Update: The Hull Estates fountain is no more
Downtown Calgary doesn’t show a lot of signs of fall besides chillier winds and a few trees turning gold before shedding. a pretty summer view is the Hull Estates fountain, which got drained just a few days ago. A minor d-spot, it’s just a block away from the Lougheed House.At night, the fountain glows a striking gold. If you’ve never seen it before, I’d highly recommend walking down 12th Avenue SW and checking it out - it’s best after 11PM!
Looking for some direction this weekend, I stumbled upon the concept of writing a bucket list. A bucket list is a list of stuff that you want to do before you die - it doesn’t have to be huge things, just stuff that would make you feel good or accomplished. I’m going to keep this list on-going, and make sure it stays up-to-date and append any good ideas that should happen to wander along.