#calgary book launch

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive (Daily updates!)

Vax and relax with no access to the vax. I'm sure that will work out just fine.

By Teri Fikowski

(Follow the link to watch the news segment)

Alberta rolled out its fall immunization campaign on Tuesday, but people hoping to get both a flu and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time might have to wait, with many pharmacies yet to receive a shipment of the new COVID shots.

"We were expecting to get flu and COVID shots together, so that was the plan initially, but just prior to the launch, we were told the vaccines would be a little delayed for COVID," said Nisma Shaukat, the pharmacist at Copperfield Pharmasave.

In September, Alberta Health announced both vaccines would be available on Oct. 15(opens in a new tab).

While many pharmacies are unable to open bookings until delivery of the shots, others were forced to cancel bookings on Tuesday.

"It's certainly inconvenient for people, especially when a lot of them heard through radio commercials and things like that that everything would be available together on the 15th," Shaukat said.

"So, many are coming in together, expecting to do both and we have to tell them, 'No, we only have one available at the moment.'"

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says a "glitch" involving a distributor, McKesson, has led to the delay in shipments.

"I'm assured they are rolling out the vaccine products and vaccine themselves to pharmacies and AHS clinics and will have everyone full-supplied by the end of the week."

Previously, the province blamed distribution problems(opens in a new tab) for family doctors not getting access to flu shots to administer.

Now, it's pharmacists who worry the delay may make it difficult to get people back through the doors for another appointment, citing a slowdown in vaccine uptake in Alberta.

During the 2023-24 flu season, 1.1 million Albertans received a flu shot, the majority through pharmacies and clinics.

That's about 140,000 people fewer than the previous year.

"It slowed down some, no question there. Last year, I think the flu numbers were half the peak and that's also why we had a really bad flu year," said David Brewerton with Lukes Drug Mart.

He describes the delay as a minor inconvenience but said Albertans shouldn't hesitate to get the shot as soon as they can, with a new strain of COVID-19 circulating.

"They should get it soon," he said.

"The fellow I just gave it to now has a person at work already and they've got other people with it. There is certainly COVID going around, there is no question there."

Health experts worry about what kind of impact a delay in vaccines will have on the upcoming respiratory virus season.

"The problem is low uptake today is going to a lead to a problem not tomorrow, not three weeks from now, but Christmastime when we're going to have all the hospitals overflowing," said microbiologist Jason Tetro.

He accuses the province of doing little to encourage Albertans to get vaccinated, citing what he describes as a lack of a fall immunization campaign, due to ideological reasons.

"Politicization of the vaccine has made a huge impact, so now we have right versus left but at the end of the day, getting a jab in your arm shouldn't be political," he said.

LaGrange said the province invested $500,000 to immunization campaigns, the same as the previous year.

A delivery date for the COVID-19 vaccine is dependent on pharmacies, so Albertans are encouraged to check in or check online for appointments.

[thegreenwallrabbit-blog]

A  List of TTRPG’s Luis Carazo has been in (updated September 2024)

Note these are not listed by date made, click underlined to go to youtube (if link doesn’t work for some reason you can just search for underlined title)

upcoming work

One shots/Charity events/Streamed Con events

LEGO DND- The adventure starts here. Witness history as we stream the first ever LEGO® Dungeons & Dragons game night. Featuring the incredible Dungeon Master debut of Anjali Bhimani. Joining her are @GinnyDi and Luis Carazo. Rounding the party are The LEGO Group Design Manager Jordan Scott and LEGO Ideas design winner Lucas Bolt. April 6th 2024.

Fallout DND | Pixel Circus- One Shot from Pixel Circus staring Luis Carazo, Persephone Valentine, Saige Ryan, Anthony Carboni and Sarah Chaffee in a Fallout DND one shot from May 2024.

GenCon 2023 | All Stars- Call of Cthulhu Live from GenCon 2023! Join Keeper Mark Meer as he guides investigators Harli Kane, Josephine McAdam, Luis Carazo, and Noura Ibrahim through The Dead Boarder! (Nov 23, 2023)

Live at GenCon(2023) W/Brennan Lee Mulliagan/ D&D (new) Join DM Brennan Lee Mulliagan for a Giant sized adventure played live at GenCon 2023 w/ players Jeremy Crawford, Dael Kingsmill, Erika Ishii, Luis Carazo and Gabe Hicks! Follow a group of determined seekers from the world below as they quest through a cloud giants castle for knowledge, family and adventure in this original adventure featuring elements from the new book “Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants”

Pixel Circus Plays Frosthaven (July 2023) New Welcome to the Gloomhaven Grand Festival! Join the Pixel Circus crew as they battle enemies to escape a sinking ship, in a very special Frosthaven scenario! Players: Saige Ryan,  Kailey Bray, Luis Carazo, Paula Deming.

 Dice Throne Adventures LIVE from the MEGA STAGE at Game Con Canada 2023 in Calgary, AB featuring:  Jason Azevedo as the Host, Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood, Daredevil) as The Pyromancer, Luis Carazo as a The Vampire Lord, Noura Ibrahim (Into the Mist, LA by Night) as The Seraph, Omega Jones (Critical Bard) as The

 Gloomhaven Rolepaying Game LIVE from Game Con Canada 2023| RealmSmith | Cephalofair Join us for this epic one-shot adventure set in the new Gloomhaven RPG LIVE from the MEGA STAGE at Game Con Canada in Calgary, AB featuring: Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood, Daredevil) as Savvas Elementalist, Luis Carazo (Critical Role) as a Human Scoundrel, Noura Ibrahim (Into the Mist, LA by Night) as an Inbox Bruiser, Joel Augé as a Vermling Soothsinger and our very own Jason Azevedo as the Gloom Master! This actual play takes place during the much-anticipated BackerKit campaign for the Gloomhaven Roleplaying Game.

Humblewood 5e Deck of Many Things- Join Trisha and friends (Xander Jeanneret (DM) , Erika Ishii, Luis Carazo and Whitney Moore) on an epic adventure through the Humblewood setting of D&D 5th edition. 

B Dave Walter’s One on One Shots With Luis Carazo. Come and Join B Dave Walters and his amazing list of guests! This week's guest is actor, performer, Werewolf killer... Luis Carazo! 

The Missing Heart - A Tale of Oz | D&D 5E Welcome to the magical world of Oz! This whimsical one-shot is presented in partnership with Andrews McMeel Publishing to celebrate the launch of their new Dungeons & Dragons book "OZ: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting". Markeia McCarty, Luis Carazo( he plays a bear named Brawny), Desirée Strother, and Andrew Strother, are led on a magical adventure through the land of Oz by Dungeon Master Joe Nuzzo. Our players' goal? To recover a stolen artifact and return it to Glinda, the Good Litch of the South, before the thief uses it to strip magic from Oz FOREVER!

Prisoner 13 One Shot | Keys from the Golden Vault | D&D Beyond Join Dungeon Master Lexi McQueen and our heist crew Luis Carazo,  Omar Najam, Michael Galvis & Sarah Chaffee as they travel to Revel's End prison in search of the key to a dwarven fortune! Prisoner 13 is one of thirteen exhilarating heist-themed Dungeons and Dragons adventures in Keys From the Golden Vault. Vancover By Night Wavaw Charity Werewolf Stream- The Cubs are lost in the Umbra, what will happen? Who will save them? Is that an Ashtray?Special Guests, Mark Meer, Erika Ishii, Jake Kile, & Luis Carazo Saturday Night One-Shot: Call of Cthulhu | The Mummy: Redux | Charity Stream benefiting RAINN 95 years after Rick, Evelyn, Jonathan, and Ardeth defeat Imhotep and preventing him from resurrecting Anck-su-namun, six tourists in Spain stumble upon a secret hidden within the Temple of Debod. Bringing the Mummy's Curse down upon them... will they survive the ordeal? Cast:  Ian E. Muller (GM), Diana DiMicco as Phillipa Branch, Cynthia Marie as Mel Nais, Luis Carazo as Emmanuel "Manny" Martinez, Noordin Ali as Zahir Ayad Adham, Justus Hughes as Rick O'Connell, Andrew Strother as Roy Carnahan. 

Ms. Pixel's Fantastical Circus: Call of Cthulhu One Shot Saige Ryan takes Aabria Iyengar, Alex Ward, Emme Montgomery, Luis Carazo, and Kailey Bray through an eldritch nightmare beneath the Big Top. Luis plays against type as a selfish, trapeze artist contortionist Freddy who performs in Ms. Pixel’s circus along side his twin brother bobby.  Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! 3 one shot episodes where level one character face off against a threat they have no chance of beating in a improve comedy show.

Fallout D&D One shot Fallout Dungeons & Dragons by PixelCircus with Luis Carazo, Persephone Valentine, Saige Ryan, Anthony Carboni, Sarah Chaffee. Aired May 2, 2024.

Longer Series, Main Cast: 

Good Time Society

Endymion's Gate (completed 6 episodes) ( cast  Ash MinnickI(story teller) Alejandra Cejudo, Luis Carazo, Xander Jeanneret, Aabria Iyengar and Becca Scott ) Join the crew of the starship Endymion as they embark on a mind-bending mission filled with mystery and intrigue as they navigate the dangers and wonders of Dream Space! Based on the Hillfolk system by Pelgrane Press, Endymion's Gate explores an original, science fiction TTRPG setting with a cast full of familiar faces that you'll recognize from throughout the roleplaying community! Each week  Story Moderator, Ash Minnick, leads the players through a surreal storytelling experience that will thrust them into a parallel universe of shared consciousness and dreams!  Come aboard and prepare yourself for Dream Space! 

Critical Role

Exandria Unlimited: Calamity (completed 4 part) The flying city of Avalir begins its triumphant return to the continent of Domunas while the Ring of Brass, a group of eminent city dignitaries, begin to uncover hints of something rotten within their gilded home. Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan( Game Master), Luis Carazo, Aabria Iyengar, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Travis Willingham, Lou Wilson.

Candela Obsurca chapter 2 ( premiere August 31 7PM PST) starting Luis Carazo, Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Spencer Starke, Zehra Fazel. The Circle of Needle and Thread will face off against the duplicates threat that wreaks havoc on the war torn Fairelands. Season 2 is indecent of the events of Season one but if interested this is the link to candela Obscura chapter one (which he’s not in) to watch (3episodes, complete) to get an idea of the setting and game system.

Penny Arcade

Seattle by Night, Season 2 Welcome to the second season of our Vampire the Masquerade chronicles! Join us on Tuesdays at 5pm PT on twitch.tv/pennyarcade for a new live episode, or subscribe on YouTube for the latest videos as they go live. Starring Jason Carl as The Storyteller Mike Krahulik as Tom Hollandaise, Toreador Luis Carazo as Enrique "Rico" Suarez, Brujah Jasmine Bhullar as Betty Lancaster, Lasombra Jerry Holkins as Jamison Keen, Nosferatu

Catalyst Game Labs/RealmSmith

Series Intro | Shadowrun: Excommunication | Shadowrun RPG 2023 | RealmSmith (8 part) Shadowrun is a cyberpunk-fantasy ttrpg that takes place in our world, 60 years in the future. It combines cybernetic technology and magic in a dystopian setting. CAST: Anjali Bhimani as Trigger Christian Navarro as Rio Luis Carazo as Frayne Noura Ibrahim as Liv Talon Coleman as Blaze

Johnny Stanton IV

Of Dawn & Dusk(complete 4 episodes) Journey with us, as we take you on an adventure of Gods and mortals. Cast: Johnny Stanton(Dungeon Master),Persephone Valentine as Holly "Midnight" Danes( Kalashtar sorcerer/artificer/rouge ), Jasmine Bhullar as Mildred Mulvahill( hypochondriac dragonborn druid), Christian Navarro as Leo Goldleaf( half elf paladin, brother of Narrex ),Luis Carazo as Narrex of the Vatrai (half orc barbarian, brother of Leo).

Renegade Game Studios

Hunter: The Reckoning - The Day Shift (Complete 4 episodes) Hunter: The Reckoning is a horror tabletop role-playing game set in modern times, in which players take the roles of regular human characters who become aware of the existence of the supernatural, including vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, and fight back as monster hunters. It is set in the World of darkness (Vampire the masquerade, Werewolf the apocalypse, ect.)Cast: Diana DiMicco( storyteller),Luis Carazo, Briana DeCoster, Justus Hughes, and Markeia McCarty. Luis plays the most adorably dorky bookworm history professor... 

Questline

DragonLance: Shadow Of War (complete 4 parts) Cast:Kevin Parr (Dungeon Master), Luis Carazo as Velzin Alara(Half elf rune knight fighter), Michelle Nguyen Bradley as Strigid( Shifter Lunar sorcerer), Tank Tolman as Tyran Iron-Skull (Dwarven ancestral guardian barbarian), QuincysTavern as Felix "Clubfoot" Chance (Harengon arcane trickster rogue), Roz Young as Tango Flux(Rock gnome artificer), Trevor Gemma as Wayreth Rolligtide (Hill dwarf Druid).

ThatBronzeGirl

Mörk Bronze (Complete 4 episodes)-Welcome to Mörk Bronze: a Mörk Borg experience sponsored and powered by Role! Join us through trials and tribulations as these three unfortunate souls attempt to survive in the city of Unguent. Cast: Jasmine Bhullar(fire keeper),Tanya Depass, Luis Carazo, Xander Jeanneret.

Hunters Entertainment 

Outbreak: Undead.. is a Survival Horror Simulation RPG, focusing on practical experience and scarcity of resources - rather than sensationalist hero fulfillment. ZOMBV, the first entry of the Strain Series, is world book exploring opponents, a unique virus, locations, and rules to immediately jump into a game of Outbreak: Undead - with you and your friends at the center of the story

Outbreak: Undead- Strain Series: ZOMBV  (complete 4 episodes) Cast:B Dave Walters (DM), Luis Carazo, May Leigh, Markeia Mcarthy, Michelle Nguyen Bradley

Outbreak: Undead (season 1) Rag & Bone (complete 60 episodes)Cast: Noxweiler Berf(Game master) Luis Carazo, May Leigh, Markeia Mcarthy, Michelle Nguyen Bradley.  Luis plays as Lampwick-(or as the DM once put it bullshit Jesus, Luis RP in this is amazing).

Outbreak: Undead (season 2) United States of the Dead (Complete 13 ep) Cast: Noxweiler Berf (Game master) Luis Carazo, Sarah Chaffee, Michelle Nguyen Bradley, Markeia McCarty,Chelsea. (Luis becomes a main cast member after after the third episode were he is once again playing Lampwick SO do no watch unless you’ve finished season 1: rag and bone. Also season 2 and 3 are running at the same time like parallel events .

Outbreak: Undead (season 3 ) PROJECT NERO-(complete 12 ep) Cast: Noxweiler Berf(Game  Master), Luis Carazo, Sarah Chaffee, Michelle Nguyen Bradley, Markeia McCarty, Saige Ryan,May Leigh. Luis plays different characters(but as of yet not Lampwick in this season but still should watch as other characters from season 1 show up.)

Altered Carbon - Osaka Eternal (complete 3 episodes) In this transhumanist neo-noir vision of the future, the human mind is nothing more than digital codeDigital Human Freight saved and stored in a Cortical Stack, advanced technology that allows you to "re-sleeve" your entire consciousness into a new body. Cast: Xander Jeanneret (DM), Luis Carazo, Michelle Nguyen Bradley, Markeia McCarty, May Leigh.

Kids on Bikes: Autumn Rites (Complete  3 episodes)-Strange Adventures in Small TownsChoose your OWN destiny in this storytelling rules-light tabletop role-playing game where adventure is a bike ride away!​Kids on Bikes is a Collaborative World Building RPG set in small towns with big mysteries. Written and created by celebrated game designers Jon Gilmour (Dead of Winter, Atari: Centipede/Missile Command/Asteroids) & Doug Levandowski (Gothic Doctor, Seven Minutes in Hell). Cast: Mika Midgett (Game Master), Luis Carazo, Michelle Nguyen Bradley, Markeia McCarty, May Leigh.

Gods of Metal: Ragnarock - Masquerade of Madness (Complete 3 episodes, fist episode only)A bombastic heavy metal-inspired RPG of epic proportions. Bust out the D4's, turn up the volume and live out your rock fantasy! Cast: Ivan Van Norman (Game Master) Luis Carazo, Michelle Nguyen Bradley, Markeia McCarty, May Leigh.

Guest star

Vampire: The Masquerade - L.A. By Night ( first appearance in season 2 episode 6)  portraying  Nines Rodrigues the famous, charismatic, werewolf killing Brujah Anarch baron of Downtown/East Los Angeles and owner of the Last Round Bar.

ECLIPSE (S2) Episode 11: Escape from Vicom Station

DesiQuest - Fantasy/late 19th early 20th century setting. The story and setting are fictional relm based of mythology from Indian subcontinent. In this, the pilot episode to the South Asian mythology inspired TTRPG actual play, DesiQuest starring @ThatBronzeGirl @sweeetanj @RekhaShankar @omarnajam @SandeepParikh , our adventurers take the perilous journey to pickup one of their squad from the busy port of Chaand Bay. And as most travelers to India can attest to just getting out of the airport can be harrowing. Luis plays a guest character Namir in season 1, episode 2 and 3.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Happy Independent Bookstore Day!

Tomorrow (Apr 25) I’ll be in San Diego for the launch of my new novel, Red Team Blues, at 7PM at Mysterious Galaxy Books, hosted by Sarah Gailey. Please come and say hi!

_,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,_

It’s Independent Bookstore Day! I love bookstores, especially indies. I’m a recovering bookseller (love you, BakkaPhoenix!) and an inveterate and absurdly optimistic buyer of books — just this weekend, I bought three books at the LA Times Festival of Books, from Pages and Octavia’s Bookshelf!

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/24/tax-loss-harvesting/#ibd

Supporting indie bookstores doesn’t mean foregoing the convenience of buying online. Libro.fm pioneered a model that lets you nominate your favorite local bookstore, which receives part of the proceeds from every audiobook you buy at Libro (where all the audiobooks are DRM-free).

Libro is celebrating indie bookstores all week with stellar deals on an incredible lineup of audiobooks, from Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower to Chokepoint Capitalism, the book Rebecca Giblin and I wrote about how monopolies (including bookstore monopolies like Amazon) destroy the livelihoods of creative workers, and how to fight back:

https://libro.fm/ibd

You can also back your favorite indie bookstore when you shop online at Bookshop.org, who — like Libro — donate a portion of the cost of every book you buy to a nominated local bookseller:

https://bookshop.org/

Of course, nothing beats actually visiting your local bookstore, browsing the books, reading the shelf-reviews, and talking to knowledgeable, intelligent, passionate booksellers in person. I’m about to embark on a tour for my next novel, Red Team Blues, and I’ll be stopping at many great indie stores on the way.

Tomorrow, I’ll be in San Diego at Mysterious Galaxy Books for a launch with Sarah Gailey. On Wednesday, I’ll be in Burbank at Dark Delicacies. On May 5, I’ll be in Mountain View with Mitch Kapor at Books, Inc. There are plenty more stops, in PDX, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, DC, Gaithersburg, and all over the UK, finishing in Berlin:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/19/whats-wrong-with-iowa/#red-team-blues-tour

I hope to see you there! Also, my family has asked that you stage an intervention if you see me buying more books while I’m on tour!

_,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,_

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in San Diego, Burbank, Mountain View, Berkeley, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, DC, Gaithersburg, Oxford, Hay, Manchester, Nottingham, London, and Berlin!

_,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,_

[Image ID: A shot of the legendary El Ateneo bookstore, 'the world's most beautiful bookstore,' housed in a former grand theater in Buenos Aires, Argentina.]

_,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,_

Image: Liam Quinn https://www.flickr.com/photos/liamq/5459406835/

CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

_,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,_

[thiscitylife]

Urban Renewal: How Simple Acts and Third Spaces can Reconnect Our Communities

Hi everyone! It's been a while, but I'm back with a new post to launch the Urban Renewal series. As we navigate this post-pandemic world, I've been pondering the idea of connection, particularly in our urban spaces. For the first installment of the series, I had the pleasure of chatting with fellow Vancouverite, Peg Fong, a journalist, author, and educator who launched a podcast and book during the pandemic titled, Alone Together, to explore the topic of loneliness in cities.

In our conversation, Peg shared her insights on how we can rebuild a sense of community.

The Simple Act of Walking

During the pandemic when we were mostly confined to our homes, the ability to stroll through the neighborhood and see other people was often our main source of face-to-face interaction.

"I live in Yaletown, a very walkable area of Vancouver, which was something I took for granted," Peg shared. “But during the pandemic it became so important to have these public spaces where we could walk and see other people around, even if we couldn't be together.”

Public spaces like parks and sidewalks became lifelines for connecting with others, reminding us that we weren't truly alone. However when the pandemic was over, many continued to stay home, preferring teleworking and shopping online to being out and about in their communities.

“I grew up in the Prairies and we always had community areas where people gathered, like after church or on the weekends, whether it was a local community center or hockey rink. I think we've lost some of that.”

With more people working from home and having food and goods delivered, we don’t have spontaneous interactions typically experienced when going to the office or the store. To make up for those lost connections, walking and spending time in public spaces becomes even more important to building community.

Activating Public Spaces

It’s not just about having more public spaces – it's about activating them. Imagine a public square with giant chess boards, live music, or pop-up markets. These kinds of events draw people in and create opportunities for spontaneous connection that might not happen otherwise.

You can build a great public space, but if there is no programming, people won’t come. North Vancouver’s Shipyards is a world-class example of how to design and activate a public space - with a massive waterpark (which transforms into a skating rink in the winter), a gorgeous view of the waterfront, shielded from the sun or rain by a vaulted ceiling; surrounded by Adirondak chairs; giant toys and games; an ice cream shop; restaurants; breweries; a stage playing live music; regularly programmed events including movies, night markets, and yoga classes; art galleries; a public market; hotels; shops; public transit; and a seawall - all within 100 metres.

In comparison, when I visited Vancouver’s central public space - Robson Square - during the pandemic, there was nothing going on except one tent trying to illegally sell marijuana baked goods. You can guess where most people would rather spend their time.

Third Spaces: More Than Just Coffee Shops

While discussing the benefits of walking and enjoying public spaces, Peg and I got on the topic of "third spaces." These are places that aren't homes or workplaces, but rather community hubs where we can gather, relax, and connect with others. Think of your local coffee shop, library, or even a dog park. These spaces are essential for fostering those spontaneous interactions with our neighbours that we may have lost during the pandemic.

Urban planning best practices suggest that every home should be within a 5-10 minute walk to a park, but we don’t talk about the importance of being able to easily walk to a coffee shop or corner store.

“I grew up in an apartment above a grocery store in Calgary. We had people buying groceries there, but also people sitting on the deck or stairs eating popsicles and enjoying drinks. It became a gathering spot in my neighborhood, but I never thought about how important it was to have those places until the pandemic shut so many things down.”

Many cities are recognizing how zoning bylaws limit the ability to build these third spaces in residential areas. This includes Vancouver, which has streamlined the permitting process, offering micro-business licenses and creating flexible zoning regulations to allow for more mixed-use developments that include housing and ground-level shops or cafés.

Safe Streets and Small Interventions

When people can safely use streets for active transportation like walking and biking around their neighborhood, they are more likely to get out of their homes and cars to interact with their neighbors, support local businesses, and socialize outdoors. Sometimes, the simplest interventions to make our streets safe, like crosswalks, four-way stops, bollards, and lighting, can have the biggest impact.

Peg shared a story about her relatives visiting from Bogota, Colombia, who were amazed to be able to walk safely under Vancouver’s overpasses. It's a reminder that even small details like well-lit walkways and wide sidewalks give people a sense of security while walking.

We also spoke about how small, low-cost interventions like adding more benches in our public spaces can build community. “One of my favorite episodes of the Alone Together podcast was about benches. They are special because they’re not just a place to sit, they’re spots available to anyone - that availability turns benches into opportunities for connections.”

“Benches are bridges between those eager to chat, and those wanting to just listen," said Peg. "When we sit on a bench, we’re indicating we’re part of a world that maybe we feel too lonely or afraid to fully participate in. Benches give us an opportunity to be engaged in our surroundings, whether it's observing from the side or opening up a chance for conversation.”

What Can We Do?

So, what can we do to rebuild our connections in a post-pandemic city? Here are a few ideas:

Support local businesses: Visit that new coffee shop, browse the farmers market, or check out a local art show. These activities help keep our communities vibrant and provide spaces for us to gather.

Get involved: Go to those local events in your community, or even volunteer to help organize one. Lobby your local government for safer streets and better public spaces. You might be surprised at how quickly you can connect with others who share your interests.

Start small: Organize a neighborhood gathering, strike up a conversation with someone on the bus, or simply offer a friendly smile to a passerby. "Even if that means, you know, checking in on our neighbors, asking if someone is doing ok." These small acts of kindness can go a long way in building a sense of community.

We all have a role to play in creating the kind of city we want to live in. According to Peg, "we have a responsibility to reach out to other people to make our communities a place where everyone feels connected."

[dibator]

Shirley deKelver Launches Survival: Climate of Fire, Book 1

Welcome to fellow BWL author, Shirley Bigelow DeKelver!  SHIRLEY BIGELOW DEKELVER shirleydekelver@gmail.com sdekelver@telus.net  I was born in Calgary, Alberta, raised as an “army brat”, and lived in Germany, and in many of the Canadian Provinces. From an early age, I would tell stories to my sisters and my brother, and when I didn’t have my nose in a book, I would be drawing and painting. It…

[44gamez]

Next Jujutsu Kaisen Episode Countdown – Season 2 Episode 23

Picture: Mappa Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 23 marks an enormous turning level within the second member of Shonen Leap’s Darkish Trio’s story. Pseudo-Geto’s sinister plans for Japan are about to start in earnest, and an surprising twist concerning Yuji Itadori’s household foreshadows even darker revelations. We’re nearing the finale of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, however followers nonetheless have loads of thrilling (and heartwrenching) twists to stay up for. Should you’re in it until the tip, right here’s the discharge date and countdown to Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 23.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 23 Launch Date, Time, and Countdown

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 23 can be launched on December twenty eighth, 2023, if all goes as deliberate. Like the remainder of Jujutsu Kaisen Season, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 23 can be out there on Crunchyroll at 10 AM PT / 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET. Nevertheless, it might be delayed on account of web site site visitors. The English dubbed model ought to arrive on the web site two weeks later, on January eleventh, 2024. Associated: Jujutsu Kaisen Manga Launch Date Schedule 2024: When You Can Count on New Chapters Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 23 Launch Date Countdown If you wish to know exactly when a brand new episode of Jujutsu Kaisen will drop in your area, rejoice! Take a look at our in-depth Jujutsu Kaisen time zone launch chart under! Time ZoneLaunch TimePacific Time (Los Angeles, Vancouver)10:00 AM PSTMountain Time (Denver, Calgary)11:00 AM MSTCentral Time (Chicago, Regina)12:00 PM CSTJapanese Time (New York, Toronto)1:00 PM ESTAtlantic Time (Halifax, Fredericton)2:00 PM ASTBrazil (Brasília Time)2:00 PM BSTUK and Eire6:00 PM GMTEurope7:00 PM CESTMoscow8:00 PM MSKIndia10:30 PM ISTVietnam and Thailand12:00 AM ICTPhilippines1:00 AM PHT

RECAP: JJK Season 2 Episode 22 Spoilers and What to Count on in Episode 23

Picture: Mappa Determined to flee loss of life, Mahtio begs Pseudo-Geto to save lots of him from Yuji. Sadly for Mahito, Psuedo-Geto’s description of “serving to” entails utilizing his innate Cursed Spirit Manipulation approach to soak up Mahito. Unable to battle again, Mahito is consumed, giving Peeduo-Geto entry to all of Mahito’s terrifying talents. Given an opportunity to indicate off his new expertise when the Kyoto Second-Years arrive, Pseudo-Geto effortlessly avoids each assault thrown his means, even after Atsuya Kusakabe and Utahime Iori be a part of the fray. When it seems like issues can’t get any spicer, Choso arrives and protects Yuji from a harmful blow, loudly declaring that the boy is his little brother. Having skilled a false reminiscence of Yuji eating with himself and his brothers, Choso deduces that the being referred to as Peeduo-Geto is and at all times has been Kenjaku, the depraved sorcerer who created him and his siblings. Kenjaku doesn’t trouble denying the allegation, however Uraume freezes Choso in his tracks earlier than he can retaliate. Enraged by the continual interruption of Sukuna’s ressurection, Uraume makes an attempt to complete off all their opponents with an enormous blast of ice. At that second, Yuki Tsukumo arrives and challenges Kenjaku, closing the episode with a nail-biting cliffhanger. - This text was up to date on December twenty first, 2023 About The Creator

Drew Kopp has been a author at Assault of the Fanboy for 3 months and has coated Baldur's Gate 3, The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath, and Ahsoka. He has a Bachelor's in Artistic Writing and loves writing about indie video games and superstar gossip. When he is not writing, he may be discovered studying fantasy books or rocking out as Bard in Dungeons & Dragons. Extra on Assault of the Fanboy : Source link Read the full article

[preconstruction-info]

✨IMPERIA CONDOS✨ Allocations are on hand! Contact me to book the unit! Urban living at a prime location in Downtown Calgary! 🌇 📍Located at 11th Avenue & 4th Street SW 🍸All the best Calgary has to offer is right at your doorstep 🛍Easy access to the city's largest employers, trending restaurants, and best entertainment 🎓 Walking distance to the University of Calgary's DT Campus PLATINUM LAUNCH INCENTIVES 🔹2 Year FREE Condo Fees 🔹2 Year Rental Guarantee 🔹2 Year FREE Turnkey Professional Property Management from Empire 81 🌟$20K in FREE Upgrades 🌟FREE Storage Locker ($5,000 Value) 🌟FREE Assignment ($10K Value) 🌟Discounted Parking Stall Pricing $25K More Info: http://dlvr.it/Spwrt3 Contact: +1 647-945-8844 #investmentopportunity #newconstruction #realestateinvesting #exclusiveproperties #gta #gtahome #gtarealestate #gtarealtor #newdevelopment #preconstruction #realestateinvestment #LuxuryLiving #ROI #Ontario #Imperia #imperiacondo #UrbanLiving #condo #condominium #gtacondo #condosforsale #calgary http://dlvr.it/Spwrt8

[mi4011nayaninarayana]

Assessment 1 : Part 2 - Rewriting Stories of Animators

TASK 2

Conceptualize 2 story angles per animator on how you can narrate their story in a creative manner.

Carl Barks

Story 1

On 27th March 1901 in Merrill, Oregon Carl Banks was born to a family of farmers who lived miles from their neighbors in a ranch. He spent most of his spare time helping his parents out in the farm. Barks was highly influenced Winsor McCay and Frederick Burr Opper that he found escapism in readying and drawing. After leaving school at 15 in 1918, he decided to try his luck at illustration in San Fransisco but returned back home after failing. He held a few odd jobs as a farmer, cowboy, a mule driver and woodcutter.

Eventually Barks managed to get his drawings into print in 1923 and became editor in The Calgary Eye-Opener magazine where he drew several erotic cartoons for them. In 1935 he was hired as an inbetweener at Walt Disney Studios right when they launched their major new star: Donald Duck and was promoted as a storyboard artist and gag writer for his creative ideas. Barks created hundreds of stories starring Donald Duck and also created Donald's side characters such as his nephews; Huey, Louie and Dewey, his girlfriend : Daisy Duck, his uncle: Scrooge McDuck and ofcourse the antagonists: The Beagle Boys, Gladstone Gander and many more all living in Duckberg. Since Walt Disney never listed the writers and artists who created their stories Carl Barks was known and the "Duck Man" and "Good Duck Artist" by his fans. Barks found Donald Duck relatable since he too had unluckiness, poverty and loneliness in life.

Health problems eventually forced him to leave Burbank studio to California desert where he transitioned to comic books. During the 1960s his name was finally known to the mainstream public and received various awards after his retirement. In 1966 after retiring, he started painting signed oil paintings of his Disney Ducks. Having spent most of his time on the canvas than he did on the drawing board, Barks lived till the age of 99 and passed away on 25th August 2000 from Leukemia, at his home in Oregon.

[creatiview]

[ad_1] In its first new Canadian route announcement of 2023, Air France has revealed that it will begin service between Paris and Ottawa later this year. As of June 27, 2023, the Paris-based airline will launch a new flight between the two capitals, beginning with five times per week. In the same announcement, Air France also stated that the service to Quebec City will resume for Summer 2023, and the year-round frequency to Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto will also be increased. Air France’s New Ottawa–Paris Route Once service begins on June 27, 2023, flights will operate seasonally between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The flight numbers and times are scheduled as follows: AF364 Paris (CDG) to Ottawa (YOW), departing 1:10pm and arriving 3:05pm AF361 Ottawa (YOW) to Paris (CDG), departing 5:05pm and arriving 6:15am the next day The flight will be operated by a three-cabin Airbus A330-200 aircraft, offering 36 lie-flat business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, 21 premium economy seats, and 167 economy seats. Air France also operates flights between Paris and Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, and Vancouver, making Ottawa the airline’s fifth Canadian destination. Should Ottawa-based passengers wish to fly to or from Paris on a day when the non-stop flight is unavailable, there is a complimentary bus service between Montreal and Ottawa that connects passengers to Air France flights. Air France Restores, Increases Frequency on Other Canadian Routes Air France has also announced the resumption of the service between Quebec City and Paris, as well as an increase to the number of flights to its other Canadian destinations. The Quebec City service, which was inaugurated in 2022, is set to resume on May 2, 2023. Air France will operate thrice-weekly flights between the two cities on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and the route will be served by the Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Air France also runs a shuttle bus between Quebec City and Montreal on days when flights don’t depart from Quebec City. Air France operates year-round flights from Paris to Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. These routes are set to see a 25% increase in service compared to 2019 levels, which is great for anyone who is planning a visit to Europe. Review: Air France A350 business class Paris to Toronto Passengers departing from Montreal will enjoy up to three daily flights, and passengers departing from Toronto will enjoy two daily flights. If you’re based out of Vancouver, you’ll soon have the option of flying direct to Paris daily. Keep in mind that KLM also flies to Canadian airports, with service to Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. Between the two airlines, you should be able to find a suitable option from any of these Canadian cities. It’s great to see more choice being available for Canadian travellers. We’ve seen some very attractive business class fares available in the past, and let’s hope that Air France and KLM continue to offer great deals going forward. Booking Air France’s Ottawa–Paris Flights with Points Since redemptions with Flying Blue are dynamic, the cost of booking this route may vary. Since the flights are loaded into the airline’s search engine already, we can get a sense of what it might cost to redeem miles on this new route. Keep in mind that while you may be able to find tickets as low as the below values, it may also wind up costing much more. Booking in economy appears to begin at 20,000 miles: Booking in premium economy appears to begin at 40,000 miles: And booking in business class appears to begin at 70,000 miles: Note that the taxes and fees increase as you move into a higher class of service. Once the number of fares available at each level sell out, expect the prices to jump up. Earning Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles is becoming easier and easier.

While the most simple method to earn miles is through transferring from American Express Membership Rewards at a ratio of 1:0.75, you can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points or earn through daily spending on the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard. Credit Card Best Offer Value 90,000 MR points $499 annual fee 90,000 MR points $1,646 Apply Now 75,000 MR points $199 annual fee 75,000 MR points $1,561 Apply Now 85,000 MR points $699 annual fee 85,000 MR points $1,503 Apply Now

Up to 77,000 MR points $99 annual fee Up to 77,000 MR points $1,419 Apply Now 75,000 MR points $250 annual fee 75,000 MR points $1,118 Apply Now 30,000 MR points $156 annual fee 30,000 MR points $564 Apply Now 10,000 MR points $0 annual fee 10,000 MR points $220

Apply Now $0 Apply Now Lastly, keep an eye out for Promo Rewards to any of Air France and KLM’s Canadian destinations. These can represent an excellent deal, as they slash the number of miles required for flights typically by 25–50%. We’ve also seen the discounts apply to business class in some situations, which brought the price of a flight from Montreal to Europe down to around 27,000 miles. If this happens, be sure to jump on the opportunity, as it doesn’t get any cheaper than this. Conclusion Air France has announced upcoming direct flights between Ottawa and Paris, set to begin five times per week as of June 27, 2023. This route is their fifth Canadian destination. If you’re able to secure a business class flight at the low end of Flying Blue’s dynamic spectrum, spending 70,000 miles for a flight to Europe isn’t a bad deal at all, despite the less favourable transfer ratio from American Express. Snagging a Promo Reward could drop the cost down to an even more attractive level, too. It’s great to see Air France expanding its reach into Canada, as it gives travellers more options for flights across the Atlantic. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); [ad_2] Source link

[lastfrontierh]

Heli Skiing In France

If you may have consented, it might be used to ship you promotional presents. Some of this information may also be communicated to 3rd events, particularly to our subcontractors, who may be positioned exterior the European Union. There are countless the cause why Canada should be your primary choice for a ski or snowboard holiday. Private packages for up to eight guests with two guides and a devoted helicopter obtainable. Picnic lunch is supplied and the tour contains four flights (approx. 10,000 vertical feet).

View all of our experiences by traveller type and trip sort, as well as our distinctive experiences. We’re proud to launch a brand-new sequence of unique US journeys with ground-breaking non-public Heli skiing Canada air company Surf Air. Bringing our mixed knowledge of floor and sky together, we’re serving to you to see out 2020 in style.

Heli skiing is fairly self-explanatory, it involves a helicopter and skiing. Contrary to many people’s ideas, you don't take to the slopes by jumping out of a helicopter , the helicopter takes you to a number of the finest untouched powder snow on the market, and lands safely to let you out. Heli skiing isn’t an extreme sport, only for daredevils or stunt skiers – it’s suitable for strong intermediate to professional Heli skiing Canada powder riders, and there are even some heli skiing operations that are nicely suited to first timers. Being dropped by a helicopter on the summit of a high, snow-covered peak after which skiing down the slopes is really an out-of-the-world expertise. Heli-skiing is taken into account the most thrilling, terrifying and risky winter sport.

The Eurocopter clatters away, and as we gaze throughout an indescribably lovely and breathtaking snowscape, the silence is sort of palpable. Situated in the heliski epicentre of British Columbia, Whiteworth Chalet is ideal for adventurous skiers in search of distant luxury close to resort services. The good factor about heli-skiing the Alps is that it doesn’t have to be a giant affair. You can book a day trip, have an expertise of a lifetime, and be home for work Monday morning. Finally , with fast access to the resort from three totally different international airports, and heli drops from as little as Euro 200, Courmayeur is ideal for an reasonably priced weekend heli-skiing getaway.

Getting away from the marked runs of the identical mountain for the day while your youngsters or spouse keep in resort is a good way to problem your self and enjoy your ski holiday in a brand new method. For more particulars on this incredible experience and to book heliskiing in British Columbia please don’t hesitate to get in contact with the Kaluma group. Now, I am fully aware that some skiers can consider nothing better Heli skiing Canada as a warm-up than charging through steep, deep and heavy snow, dodging tight pine bushes. But it isn't to my style and inside minutes, no doubt in a poorly prepared state of mind, never mind my poor approach, I was the different means up, skis akimbo, lodged in a huge tree nicely. Crawling ignominiously out of the bottom of my gap, I rearranged myself, only to flounder once more on the very subsequent run.

The resort also hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. By speaking on to our group of specialists, in relation to our very own proposals in your ski journey,we will make positive you receive the easiest, trustworthy and neutral advice. From Calgary airport, it is a scenic 90 minute drive to Banff & Lake Louise. There are common shuttle bus connections from the airport to Banff & Lake Louise or you would lease a automotive from the airport or in Calgary metropolis.

On the few days RK are unable to entry the again nation due to dangerous weather and also you occur to be booked to heli-ski on a sort of days, you will not find yourself stranded in a lodge as Panorama Ski resort is minutes away. A day heli-skiing can easily be added on to your main skiing vacation whether or not at Panorama, Banff or Lake Louise. Perched on a granite outcrop, with uninterrupted views of the surrounding Purcell Mountains, Stonewater Lodge is a standard log building with all the amenities you’d expect for a personal, luxurious heli-ski trip. Relax in entrance of a roaring log hearth, after a day shredding a few of the worlds finest powder, or soak within the sizzling tub ingesting a glass of something sparkly whereas drinking in the splendour of the encircling mountains.

“I’ve never carried out anything like this,” muttered John, as he took a deep breath and plunged into the abyss. I adopted them in flip, discovering myself airborne before touchdown somewhat inelegantly on my haunches – however nonetheless secure in my bindings – and careering down towards a grinning Lucas and a breathless John. We descended previous scantily concealed crevasses to the awaiting helicopter on the glacier flooring, its blades slowly whirring.

This metropolis is a nice base for exploring the Everglades at a time when milder temperatures see fewer mosquitoes and crowds, but an enormous inflow of migratory birds. Santa Fe, New Mexico’s mini state capital, charms at any time; come winter, as the surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains whiten and the close by nationwide forest fills with Nordic skiers, it really shines. The metropolis itself never gets too chilly, and has plenty of spas to warm you up anyway (seek out the ryokan-style Ten Thousand Waves). Beer lovers should go to in January for WinterBrew, while the sacred Las Posadas candlelit procession around Santa Fe plaza shows town in a different mild.

No return ticket required and limitless home visits supplied on policies over 4 months long. Heli skiing can take you to remote areas of the Mont Blanc massif, the place the backdrop of gorgeous scenery is enhanced by the true feeling of being far-off from all of it. The space round Monte Rosa is filled with charming alpine villages and steep valleys that are perfect for heli-skiing similar to...

[ninja-muse]

SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSTORES!!

Hi all! Your friendly neighbourhood book-slinger here! As you know, the Covid-19 pandemic is hitting the economy hard, small businesses especially. As you may not know, bookstores have one of the largest overheads and one of the smallest profit margins of any business ever. Many rely on foot traffic and neighbourhood support, which means if they haven’t already shut their doors due to public health measures, they’re still seeing a major drop in the number of customers and books sold—often while still needing to buy new stock and pay rent. It’s not completely dire, we’re not looking at a world without bookshops, but a lot of booksellers are genuinely worried all the same.

This is where you guys come in! If you need books right now (and I’m talking to Booklr here so there are decent odds you do), and you’ve got the money to spend, please consider hitting up an indie for them rather than a chain or exclusively online bookstore. A lot of them took online and phone orders before this year, and many are now offering curbside pick-up, lower shipping costs, and local delivery, and all of them could use your support right now. (They’re also, by and large, some of the most delightfully bookish people you’ll ever meet.)

Don’t know who your indies are? That’s what this post is for! It’s kind of skewed to my area right now because that’s what I know, but it will be updated as I get more recommendations. So please, rec your local indies to me! Add them to this post, slide into my asks, whatever’s most comfortable.

And please note that even if a store is closed and in lockdown, that does not mean you can’t place an order for when the crisis is over.

Let’s share the bookstore love!

There is now also Bookshop.org and the Save Your Bookstore app, for anyone who is interested.

Last edit: May 15, 8:50 am PST.

AUSTRALIA

Abbey’s Bookstore - Sydney. Closing on March 30. Taking online, phone, and email orders, delivering.

Crow Books - Perth. Taking phone orders, shipping.

Q’s Books - Newcastle. Window display where you can request by pointing.

Secret Bookstuff - Newcastle. Closed, taking online orders and offering phone recommendations. 15% off until end of March.

White Dwarf Books - Perth. Open to the public, Paywave preferred, taking orders for shipping

Melbourne

Alice’s Bookshop - Closed. No info about orders or shipping.

Books For Cooks - Open to public. Free next day delivery for people in isolation in local area

City Basement Books - No information.

Coventry Bookstore - No information.

Hill of Content Bookshop - Open online. Free delivery to the CBD, and shipping.

Metropolis Books - Open to the public. Offering free freight via Australia Post for online orders over $50

North Melbourne Books - Open but limited to 3 customers, offering free home delivery to North and West Melbourne.

Paperback Books - Open but closing early, taking phone, email, and online orders and shipping.

Readings - No longer accepting cash payments. Free delivery on online orders $150 and over — anywhere in Australia. 

Robinson’s Bookshop - Some stores may close early, taking online orders.

Syber’s Books - No information.

AUSTRIA

Shakespeare and Company - Vienna. Taking email orders.

CANADA

A Google Map of all indies who deliver

Alberta

The Edmonton Bookstore - Edmonton. Closed. Taking phone, online, and email orders. Updating webstore daily. Accepts Paypal.

Fair's Fair - Calgary. Closed,  taking email orders and doing curbside pick-up, credit and debit only

The Next Page - Calgary. Closed, taking online orders and delivering for free within Calgary

Pages On Kensington - Calgary. Taking phone and online orders, doing deliveries and curbside pick-up

The Wee Book Inn - Edmonton. No information.                       

British Columbia

Lower Mainland

Black Bond Books/Book Warehouse - Services and openness vary depending on location, but currently offering $5 shipping within the Lower Mainland

The Book Man - Chilliwack and Abbotsford. Closed. 

Carson Books - Vancouver. No information.

Golden Age Collectables - Vancouver. Open.

Hager Books - Vancouver. Closed. Has a webstore.

Kidsbooks - Vancouver. Closed to browsing. Online and phone orders. Curbside pickup, shipping, delivery.

Lucky’s Comics - Vancouver. No information.

MacLeod’s Books - Vancouver. No web presence

Massy Books - Vancouver. Currently open online with free delivery within Metro Vancouver and discounted rates across Canada

The Paper Hound - Vancouver. Open to the public, taking phone and email orders, offering free bike delivery

Pulp Fiction Books - Vancouver. Open to the public, taking orders online, by phone, and by Twitter, shipping daily (more details)

Tanglewood Books - Vancouver. No information.

White Dwarf Books/Dead Write Books - Vancouver. Open to the public, offers some free delivery

Y’s Books - - Vancouver. No information.

Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands

Beacon Books - Sidney. Closed, taking orders via AbeBooks, ships.

Bolen Books - Victoria. Taking phone and online orders, small window for in-store pickups, $5 shipping within BC for orders for $40

The Children’s Bookshop - Sidney. No web presence.

Coho Books - Campbell River. Taking phone, email, and online orders. Will deliver locally once a week

Galiano Island Books - Galiano Island. Closed but taking online orders. Delivery on the island free, BC shipping $5.

Galleon Books & Antiques - Sidney. No web presence.

The Haunted Bookshop - Sidney. No web presence.

Laughing Oyster Books - Courtney. Taking phone and online orders and will deliver within the Comox Valley.

The Military and History Bookshop - Sidney. No web presence.

Munro’s Books - Victoria. Closed till end of March, taking phone and online orders, $5 shipping within BC

Russell Books - Victoria. Closed, has pick-up window, offers free North American shipping with $50+ purchase with some limitations

Tanner’s Books - Sidney. Closed, taking phone and online orders, storefront pickup, $5 shipping within Capital regional district, free delivery to locals in a senior’s residence or self-isolating.

Interior

Mosaic Books - Kelowna. Closed, taking phone, email, Facebook, and online orders, free local shipping over $75, curbside pickup.

Nuthatch Books - 100 Mile House. No information.

The Open Book - Williams Lake. Phone and online orders. In-store and curbside pickup, free local delivery.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Bison Books - Winnepeg. Taking phone, online, email, and DM orders. Free local delivery or curbside pickup, with delivery available at cost everywhere else in the world. Accepts Paypal and e-transfer.

McNally Robinson - Winnepeg and Saskatoon. Closed but open by appointment. Taking phone and online orders, offering curbside pickup, next day Winnipeg delivery as low as $5, shipping across Canada

Ontario

Attic Books - London. Closed to at least April 13. Taking phone, email, DM, and online orders. Processing phone payments. Curbside pickup.

Bakka-Phoenix Books - Toronto. Closed to public until April 5. Online orders.

Brown and Dickson - London. Closed. Taking online and social media orders, considering free delivery within London. Seels gift cards.

Quebec

Argo Bookshop - Montreal. Open. Phone and online orders, curbside pickup, shipping. Selling gift certificates. Events have moved online and are starting a discussion series. Partnered with Libro.fm.

Babar Books - Montreal. Closed, taking online orders. Free shipping for West Island. $7.00 flat rate for Greater Montreal.

Librairie Drawn & Quarterly - Montreal. Closed, taking online orders, shipping, curbside pickup. Partnered with Libro.fm. Has launched an online storytime, runs an online book club.

Northwest Territories

Yellowknife Books - Currently taking online and phone orders with curb-side drop-off, also ships

FRANCE

Shakespeare and Company - Paris. Closed. Taking online orders but shipping later. Sells vouches and subscriptions.

IRELAND

Gutter Bookshop - Dublin. Closed at least to March 31. Online and email orders, shipping worldwide. Free postage within Ireland over €30. Sells vouchers.

ISRAEL

Holzer Books - Jerusalem. Appears to have updates in Hebrew.

Danny Books - Jerusalem. No information.

THE NETHERLANDS

The American Book Center - Amsterdam and the Hague. Closed for browsing today. Still taking web orders, handling emails and answering the phone. Free shipping in Netherlands over €20.

THE UNITED KINGDOM

Blackwells - Chain, but a good one.

Book-Ish - Crickhowell, Wales. Closed. Taking online orders. Has an outside donation box for toiletries for NHS staff. Recommending books on Twitter.

Ryde Bookshop - Isle of Wight. No information.

Topping & Company - Closed. Taking online, email, and phone orders, and shipping.

England

Chicken and Frog - Brentwood, Essex. Closed. Email orders. Online events. Home deliveries.

Daunt Books - London. Closed. Not currently taking orders.

Five Leaves Bookshop - Nottingham. Closed. Onlne and email orders, free postage and direct delivery from suppliers. Building a webstore and planning online events. Accepts PayPal and National Book Tokens.

Foyles - London. Closed. Online orders. Free UK standard delivery. Has subscription packages. Events cancelled until the end of May.

Gay’s The Word - London. Closed. Not currently taking orders.

Mostly Books - Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Closed.Taking phone, email, online, and social media orders. £3 postage except for large orders. Accepts PayPal and BACS.

Mr B’s Emporium - Bath. “Non-contact open.” Email and phone orders. Has sections on their website for recommendations and suggestions. Has gift vouches and reading subscriptions. Until March 31, £2 postage for 1st class, £1.50 for 2nd class. After that, free shipping over £30. Launching a Youtube channel.

Persephone Books - London. Closed. Online orders, but cannot ship due to lockdown.

Sevenoaks Bookshop - Sevenoaks, Kent. Closed. Online and email orders. Very limited hand-delivery. Shipping from suppliers.

Tales on Moon Lane - London. Closed. Email orders. Delivering. Giving recommendations.

Warwick Books - Warwick. Closed. Phone, email, and social media orders. Shipping from warehouse. Accepts bank transfer and PayPal. Has gift subscriptions and vouchers.

Scotland

Edinburgh Bookshop - Edinburgh. Closed. Taking online, email, and phone orders. Deliveries paused, but still shipping.

Golden Hare Books- Edinburgh. Closed. Taking online, email, and phone orders. Free local delivery, UK shipping for £2.50.

Lighthouse Bookshop - Edinburgh. Closed. Taking online, email, and phone orders, shipping as low as £2. Starting an online newsletter for bookstore vibes. Setting up a system where people in danger from domestic violence can ‘order a book’ and they will then alert the relevant local services to provide help.

Transreal Fiction - Closed. Not currently taking orders.

THE UNITED STATES

California

Alley Cat Bookshop and Gallery - San Francisco. Closed. Taking orders on Bookshop.org for direct home shipping. Sells gift certificates. Has a Patreon and a GoFundMe.

Books Inc./Compass Books - Bay Area. Closed. Online orders, free shipping.

Booksmart - Morgan Hill. Open, taking orders, curbside pickup. Home delivery within 3 miles, shipping $3.99 or free over $25. Providing gloves to browsers.

Borderlands Books - San Francisco. Closed, filling mail orders.

City Lights - San Francisco. Closed. Unable to directly fill online orders but lists with Bookshop.org.

Dog Eared Books - San Francisco. Valencia location in store to take your calls between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every weekday. Taking orders on Bookshop.org for direct home shipping, and online orders in store. Sells gift certificates. Has a GoFundMe.

Green Apple Books - San Francisco. Closed. Taking online orders. Free shipping on orders over $25. Partnered with Libro.fm. Is selling “Stay Home Read Books” shirts and gift cards.

The Last Bookstore - Los Angeles. Open by appointment, taking online and emails orders, offering curated gift bags, still accepting donations and buying used books

Leigh’s Favorite Books - Sunnyvale. Closed. Online reservations. Contactless local delivery. Accepting direct donations.

Omnivore Books - San Francisco. Closed. Phone and online orders. Limited pick-up hours. Shipping.

Recycle Bookstore - Campbell and San Jose. No information.

A Shop Called Quest - Phone orders, curbside pick up, shipping options. Also selling gift cards

Skylight Books - Los Angeles. Taking online orders and shipping with limitations.

Vroman's Bookstore - Pasadena. Online orders under $75 for shipping only. Partnered with Libro.fm, MyMustRead, and Corkcicle. Selling gift cards and taking financial donations.

Connecticut

That Book Store - Wethersfield. Open. Curbside pickup, free delivery available. Partnered with Libro.fm. Has a GoFundMe.

Florida

Vero Beach Book Center - Vero Beach. Open for curbside pickup. Still giving recommendations and retrieving in-store stock.

Georgia

Book Nook - Decatur. Open.

Eagle Eye Books - Decatur. Closed to browsing. Taking online and phone orders, curbside pickup.

Little Shop Of Stories - Decatur. Closed to customers until April 8, but allowing store pickup. Online and phone orders. Free home delivery in 30030 and neighboring zip codes. Partnered with Libro.fm.

Tall Tales - Decatur. Open.

Illinois

57th Street Books - Closed. Taking online orders.

Anderson’s Bookshop - Naperville, Downers Grove, and LaGrange. Online orders temporarily suspected due to volume. Downers Grove taking phone orders and has curbside pickup. Sells gift cards. Has a GoFundMe and is partnered with Libro.fm.

The Book Table - Oak Park. Closed. Direct shipping from distributor. Selling gift cards. Answering emails.

Bookie's New and Used Books - Chicago. Closed for in-store browsing. Taking online orders. Delivery within five-mile radius, curbside pickup. Also sells through Bookshop.org and is partnered with Libro.fm. Sells gift cards and ebooks.

Myopic Bookstore - Chicago. Closed.

Quimby’s - Closed at least to end of March. March and April events cancelled. Taking online, email, and phone orders, shipping, curbside pickup. Offering recommendations on Zoom.

Powell’s Books - Chicago. No information but takes online orders.

Sandmeyer’s - Chicago. Closed. Taking phone and email orders.

The Scarlet Page - Oregon. Closed. Doing curbside delivery. Selling book bundles at flat prices. Has a GoFundMe.

Unabridged Bookstore - Chicago. Closed to the public. Taking online orders, shipping. Sells gift cards.

Women & Children First - Chicago. Closed until May 1. Taking online orders and shipping. Preorders available. Partnered with Libro.fm. Doing poetry events on Instagram and other virtual events elsewhere.    

Iowa

Prairie Lights - Iowa City. Closed to the public. Taking phone and online orders. Free local delivery, curbside pickup, shipping free over $50 within the continental US.

Kansas

Book-a-Holic Bookstore - Wichita. Open, offering curbside pickup.

Eighth Day Books - Wichita. Taking orders and shipping.

Rainy Day Books - Fairway. Open. Taking phone and online orders. $5 priority mail under $75, free shipping over $75. Offering phone recommendations.

Raven Book Store - Lawrence. Taking email and online orders. Free local delivery. $1 shipping across the US. Has book subscriptions.

Watermark Books and Cafe - Wichita. Open. Taking online orders, $3 shipping within continental US, curbside delivery of books and food. Sells eBooks and audiobooks.

Kentucky

Nanny Goat Books - Louisville. No information.

Maryland

The Book Escape - Baltimore. Closed. Taking orders, shipping daily, offering free delivery.

 The Book Thing of Baltimore - Baltimore. Closed. Soliciting ideas for safely giving away books during social distancing and looking for satellite bookshelves. Accepting financial donations.

The Ivy Bookshop - Towson. Closed. Taking phone and online orders, shipping, offering phone recommendations.

Massachusetts

Brookline Booksmith - Boston. Closed. Taking phone and online orders, shipping. Recommendations on social media.

Harvard Book Store - Boston. Closed until April 7. Online orders. Shipping. Offers print-on-demand services. Events cancelled.

More Than Words - Boston and Waltham. Stores and events currently closed. Still accepting book donations.

Trident Booksellers and Cafe - Boston. Store and cafe closed to public. Events cancelled. Shipping within US. Food delivery and pick-up. Sells gift cards and partnered with Libro.fm.

Wellesley Books - Wellesley. Taking online orders, direct shipping from distributor. Partnered with Libro.fm. Sells gift cards.

Michegan

Bookbug and This Is A Bookstore - Kalamazoo. Closed, taking orders, providing reading lists. Has launched a book subscription service and is accepting donations.

Kazoo Books - Kalamazoo. No information.

Literati Bookstore - Ann Arbor. Closed until April 13. Processing current orders and sending incoming orders through a distributor that ships. Has a GoFundMe.

Minnesota

Dreamhaven Books - Minneapolis. Open, taking phone and email orders, $10 care package within the US.

Excelsior Bay Books - Twin Cities. Closed for browsing. Taking online and phone orders, giving phone recommendations, curb-side pickup, shipping. Selling audiobooks and gift certificates.

Red Balloon Bookstore - Twin Cities. Closed. Giving recommendations by phone. Parking lot pick-up, free shipping, orders $20 free delivery in neighbourhood.

Wild Rumpus Bookstore - Twin Cities. Closed. Taking online orders, offering curbside pickup, free shipping or delivery on orders over $10.

Mississippi

Lemuria Books - Jackson. Taking online and phone orders, offering curbside pick-up and shipping. 

Montana

Vargo’s Jazz City and Books - Bozeman. No information.

Country Bookshelf - Bozeman. Closed to browsing. Open for pick-up orders, prefers curb delivery, local delivery, or shipping. $1 shipping nationwide. Taking online and phone orders, acting as personal shoppers.

Isle of Books AKA Used Book Emporium - Bozeman. Open. Taking phone and online orders. Curbside pickup and shipping. Doing short readings on Facebook.

New Jersey

Words Bookstore - Maplewood. Events postponed to April 25. No other information. Has webstore.

The Book House - Millburn. Online orders. Selling subscriptions, gift cards, and gift baskets. Offering email recommendations. Partnered with Libro.fm.

New York

Bluestockings - NYC. No information, has webstore.

The Book House of Stuyvestant Plaza/Market Block Books - Albany. Closed. Events to be rescheduled. Online orders, direct shipping from distributors. Partnered with Libro.fm.

Book Culture - NYC. Some locations closed, all closed to browsing. Taking online orders, shipping. Pickups uncertain. International shipping. Buyback suspecting but accepting book donations.

Books of Wonder - NYC. Offering digital storytime.

The Corner Bookstore - NYC. Events cancelled through April. Phone and email orders, free local delivery. Customizes gift baskets. Allows customers to open an account. Sells gift certificates.

Dashwood Books - NYC. No information

Greenlight Bookstore - Brooklyn. Closed to the public. Online orders shipping from supplier, free over $100.

Housing Works - NYC. Bookstore and cafe closed. Clinics still open. Taking financial donations for the organization as a whole. Sells gift cards.

Kitchen Arts and Letters - NYC. Closed. Filling phone and mail orders.

The Lit Bar - NYC. Online orders, shipping, curbside pickup by appointment. Partnered with Libro.fm.

Midtown Comics - NYC - Open, taking online orders, currently running a 20% off everything sale until March 31st

The Mysterious Bookshop - NYC. Closed. Shipping all orders when business ban lifted.

Revolution Books - NYC. Closed to public. Still providing information and analysis, and online programming.

Shakespeare & Co. - NYC. No information, but webstore and free shipping.

Spoonbill and Sugartown - NYC. Taking email orders and shipping.

The Strand - NYC. Closed, taking online orders.

Three Lives and Company - NYC. Closed and not currently processing orders.

North Carolina

The Book Lady - Munroe. No information.

Bookmarks - Winston-Salem. Taking phone and online orders including preorders, curbside pickup, free shipping over $25. Offers memberships, gift cards, and subscriptions. Partnered with Libro.fm, sells ebooks. Taking donations.

The Captain’s Bookshelf - Asheville. No information.

Epilogue Book Cafe - Chapel Hill. Closed. Online orders, $3 shipping. Partnered with Libro.fm

Firestorm Co-op - Asheville. Open. Taking online orders. Events cancelled till end of March. $1 shipping.

Flyleaf Books - Chapel Hill. Closed. Online and phone orders, curbside pickup and $1 shipping through April.

Island Books - Kitty Hawk. No specific information but does online orders.

Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe - Asheville. Online and phone orders. Events and book clubs suspended to May 15. Home delivery throughout Buncombe Country with two book minimum, free shipping over $50 and free delivery downtown, curbside pickup. Exploring subscription services and digital content. Directing donations to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC)

Quail Ridge Books - Raleigh. Closed to the public Weds and Thurs. Taking online orders. All March events cancelled. Free media mail shipping to continental US.

The Regulator - Durham. Closed to customers. Phone and online orders. Curbside pickup, reduced shipping nationwide. Sells gift certificates.

Ohio

The Book Loft - Columbus. Closed till April 6. Taking online orders, shipping for $4.99.  

Oregon

Black Sun Books - Eugene. No information but putting their stock online.   

The Book Bin - Corvallis and Albany. Open. Phone orders. Free home delivery and curbside pickup.

Browser’s Books - Corvallis and Albany. Closed to public, open by appointment. Taking phone, email, and messaging orders, and posting shelfies for online browsing. Free shipping in Oregon over $15. Curbside pick-up.

Dudley's Bookshop Cafe - Bend. Closed. Taking email and Facebook orders, doing deliveries. Partnered with Libro.fm.

Grass Roots Books - Corvallis. Faking phone and online orders. Free shipping, curbside pickup. Launching an “Irregular” newsletter.

J Micheal's Books - Eugene. Closed, curbside and local home delivery.

Powell’s Books - Portland. Closed through April. Free shipping for over $25

Smith Family Bookstore - Eugene. Closed. Taking phone and online orders, allows pickup, also shipping.

Tsunami Books - Eugene. Taking phone, email, website, online, and Facebook orders. Curbside pickup. Accepts checks and cash. Free shipping anywhere in the US.              

Pennsylvania

Towne Book Center & Wine Bar - Collegeville.  Closed. Online orders. Free standard shipping in the US. Sells gift cards. Partnered with Libro.fm and MyMustReads. Some book clubs meeting digitally.

Tennessee

Parnassus Books - Nashville. Closed to public. Taking and shipping orders. Events cancelled until April 10.

Vermont

Star Cat Books - Bradford. No information. Takes donations.

Washington

Brick and Mortar Books - Redmond. Closed. Taking online orders.

The Elliott Bay Book Company - Seattle. Closed until March 31, taking phone and online orders, taking curbside pickup, limited home delivery, free delivery for over $50, free shipping within US.

Imprint Books - Port Townsend. Closed to browsers until March 31. Taking phone and email orders. Direct-to-home shipping for $2, free over $30. Giving recommendations. Partnered with Libro.fm. April writing workshops now on Zoom.

Left Bank Books - Seattle. Closed to the public. Taking phone and online orders (including for store credit), shipping daily.

Lion Heart Books  - Seattle. No information.

Magus Books - Seattle. Closed as of March 26. Taking phone and email orders, shipping

Main Street Books - Monroe. Closed to browsing. Stock listed on spreadsheet, Amazon. and Bookshop.org. Free shipping. 20% off gift cards.

Mercer Street Books - Seattle. No information.

Ophelia's Books - Seattle. Closed to the public. Available for phone or email orders that can be shipped or picked up during limited hours.

Secret Garden Books - Seattle. Closed until at least April 7 and not processing orders until then.

Third Place Books - Seattle. Taking orders, free shipping to March 31.

Twice Sold Tales - Seattle. Open weekends, selling gift certificates, has a GoFundMe

Uppercase Bookshop - Snohomish. Closed to browsing. Taking online orders. Shipping and delivery. Sells gift cards. Partnered with Libro.fm and MyMustReads.

William James Bookseller  - Port Townsend. Closed.         

ONLINE-ONLY

Absinthe Books

[battle-of-alberta]

OCtober: Lilith and Red

Once again take a look at the tourism sites. Is there a city you’d rather visit? I’m curious to know!

Lethbridge | Red Deer

Below is some meta stuff about the ‘research’ (if you can even call it that, it was more of a vibe check) I did for re-doing the profiles. Read on, if it intrigues you.

Mid-Sized Cities: Lethbridge and Red Deer

At first glance, it's hard to tell whether trying to fit Lethbridge and Red Deer into the major city rivalry mold is either productive or relevant. The two cities are distribution hubs of their respective regions, have closely competing populations as well as a growing post-secondary community, and are both hitting their stride in representing parts of Alberta that are typically overshadowed by its larger urban centers. There were "no hard feelings" between the two as Lethbridge's stability and its position as a city uniquely independent of the oil and gas boom/bust cycle allowed it to once again surpass Red Deer in size. It seems that there's a long history of commonality and always just enough room to share the third place podium

Website Round Up Premise

While I was revisiting these character profiles, I took a look at how cities represented themselves on their municipal sites and tourism sites rather than how cities were represented in the news or in stereotypes, as the latter already tend to live in the back of my head. I was interested to see who the target audiences for each city were, what they considered their strengths, and how much effort each city put into putting its own identity on display. I was also interested into what ideas sort of fed into any pre-existing confirmation bias I had about each city's personality as well as interested in what narratives might be used to counteract negative stereotypes.

The first thing I tended to notice was the overall information architecture of each city's website. How easy were they to navigate? What kinds of information did they have? How did they organize it? How did they communicate that information?

Municipal: Out and About

Lethbridge's information architecture leaves a little to be desired... instead of the obvious first tab "Living Here", the "About Lethbridge" page was hidden under "Things to Do" (in an ever extending sidebar reminiscent of older web design). The city portrays itself as a "central" location despite being the last major stop before the U.S. border, which is an interesting contrast to Red Deer's "true" central nature. Still, as southern Alberta is the true "birthplace" of the modern province, the city's pride in being the centre of the South is well earned. The About Page includes a lot of geographical and climate statistics and also helpfully defines words such as "coulee" and "chinook" and "viaduct", which are integral to understanding the environmental context. Lethbridge makes up for what it lacks in organization by being the only city to offer a downloadable colouring book on its about page. Underneath this page is a separate City Identity page for city emblems and symbols, with brief explanations and images of each. There are also a couple pages about the history of the city.

Lethbridge also has a page in their "About" section for visitors, linking them to the tourism pages of the city, the region, and suggesting their own "Top Ten" suggested activities for visiting families.

Red Deer has its "About" section as the first tab on its site, although the large number of categories provide different pieces to the puzzle rather than directing a visitor to a single page. Emblems, symbols, facts and trivia are all squirrelled away under "History" (although many of the facts are short of a little context). The "Moving to Red Deer" page has a more general overview, describing the city as "easy to get around" but with amenities of a larger city. There's also a "Downtown Red Deer" page which describes the three districts of the city centre with six themes: great streets, great places, great connections, vitality, authenticity, and sustainability. Finally, there's a section called "We Are Red Deer" with a promotional video and statement about the city, emphasizing "real" (work-life?) balance, a can-do volunteer attitude, and a city that is the ideal blend of urban and rural.

Red Deer also has citizen-contributed stories and i was Entranced by The Case of the Bolting Bovine in which a cow just. got loose in a suburb. great video.

Overall, both city sites struck me as accommodating and trying to be welcoming and accessible, even if those goals weren't always reached. Lethbridge tended to focus more on environment while Red Deer tended to focus more on the welcoming temperament of locals. I also got the initial impression that Red Deer had put a little more thought in their branding than Lethbridge in both organization and self-description; the site was more oriented to new residents than Lethbridge's as well. However, Lethbridge has an excellent "internal" brand in its promotion of its colouring book and the adorable illustrations and animations I found scattered here and there. They also refer to their history through mural art, which strikes a unique contrast with the extensive archival material featured on Red Deer's deep historical pages.

Neither city had a particularly strong guide for prospective residents, but neither city is as concerned as smaller municipalities might be with attracting them.

Tourism: Staycation Destination

Finally, both cities also have tourism pages.

Both cities are providing regular COVD-19 updates and encouraging local tourism. Lethbridge encourages the hashtag #YQLocal while Red Deer suggests #ExploreRedDeersBackyard.

Interestingly, both tourism pages feature "Ask A Local" or "Local Insider" stories and tips that are very cute. Red Deer has a panel of local experts which visitors can direct questions to, such as "What should be the city's motto?" or "What is an iconic Red Deer dish?". Lethbridge structures an entire section of the website as "Insider Tips", which includes frequent blog updates about local events, an "About Lethbridge" page, but most interestingly includes an "Authentic Lethbridge" page. This page features links to sites like TripAdvisor and Twitter where visitors can explore the reviews and hashtags for the city outside of their tourism page, which struck me as an interesting option considering that it was the only tourism site that encouraged looking at information or opinion that was not curated to paint a 'sunday best' portrait of the city.

Tourism: We’re Headed Downtown

Both cities describe themselves on distinct pages.

Lethbridge has an impressive about page in the sense that less is more, a large image of the viaduct sets the tone for the short description below, which is concise if not vivid or particularly unique. It feels as if the site is confident that Lethbridge speaks for itself.

Red Deer's about page is a little more informative, but you'll have to scroll down and squint or you might overlook it. The description is very warm and genuine, painting the city as the heart of a beautiful agritourism destination filled with active and friendly volunteers (which echoes Calgary's Olympic branding...). It also bolds the sentence "We are fiercely proud of our community and the quality of life it affords." and for some reason it sounds just a tiny bit threatening?!

Tourism: Hitchhiker’s Guide

Both cities have downloadable guides.

It's kind of adorable that Lethbridge takes full advantage of having a digital guide and embeds teeny tiny YouTube videos on the cover and throughout the pages. This year's guide also basically admits straight up that 2020 kind of sucks, and I respect that.

Red Deer's guide is from last year and has a beautiful, colourful design. The theme of this guide is "Adventure" from cover to cover, and the image/text balance is well employed.

It's interesting to see the different priorities of each guide. Lethbridge tends to focus more on museums, galleries, cultural experiences and interpretive centers before looking towards the great outdoors, dining, and sport. Red Deer's guide launches right into extreme sports and the local food scene, which are similarly reflected as the top two draws on their website. It is pretty interesting that this is very often the case for other analyses I've made: Southern Alberta seems to be more concerned with arts and culture while Northern Alberta is a little more sport and recreation. (And since the major cities are the only ones left and I have an Edmonton bias, I'm interested to see how my own tourism site is going to spin what I think I know to be true, haha.)

I got the impression Lethbridge assumed its visitors would be visiting family in the area - maybe it's due to COVID-19 restrictions that family is their focus this year, but I'd be curious to see if this continues. Red Deer's guides were naturally much more focused on the urban corridor traffic and really stressed an "escape" for commuters.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Tonight (Apr 25) I’ll be in San Diego for the launch of my new novel, Red Team Blues, at 7PM at Mysterious Galaxy Books, hosted by Sarah Gailey. Please come and say hi!

Tomorrow (Apr 26), I’ll be in Burbank, signing Red Team Blues at Dark Delicacies at 6PM.

_,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,_

#10yrsago HOWTO die at Burning Man https://burners.me/2013/04/25/9-ways-to-die-at-burning-man/

#10yrsago Fair use decision: remixing is legal even when there is no intent to comment or parody original work https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/richard-prince-wins-major-victory-in-landmark-copyright-suit-59404/

#10yrsago Debunking the HTML5 DRM myths https://web.archive.org/web/20130427210336/http://freeculture.org/blog/2013/04/23/dont-let-the-myths-fool-you-the-w3cs-plan-for-drm-in-html5-is-a-betrayal-to-all-web-users/

#10yrsago Akissi: kids’ comic about a mischievous girl in Cote D’Ivoire https://memex.craphound.com/2013/04/26/akissi-kids-comic-about-a-mischievous-girl-in-cote-divoire/

#10yrsago Publishing should fight ebook retailers for more data https://web.archive.org/web/20130428235824/http://www.thebookseller.com/blogs/tangible-assets.html

#10yrsago Jello Biafra talks Occupy, music, and Obama https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/apr/25/jello-biafra-obama-occupy

#10yrsago Too-big-to-fail banks implicated in $500 trillion fraud: biggest price-rigging scandal in history https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/everything-is-rigged-the-biggest-price-fixing-scandal-ever-82255/

#5yrsago A who’s-who of tech manufacturers sent scaremongering letters to the Illinois legislature to kill Right to Repair https://www.vice.com/en/article/vbxk3b/appliance-companies-are-lobbying-against-right-to-repair

#5yrsago Security researchers can turn Alexa into a transcribing, always-on listening device https://threatpost.com/researchers-hacked-amazons-alexa-to-spy-on-users-again/131401/

#5yrsago Microsoft sends recycler to jail for reinstalling obsolete, licensed copies of Windows on refurbished PCs https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2018/04/24/recycling-innovator-eric-lundgren-loses-appeal-on-computer-restore-discs-must-serve-15-month-prison-term/

#5yrsago Trump’s finance watchdog wants to make the taxpayer-funded database of crooked banks go dark https://www.npr.org/2018/04/25/605835307/the-consumer-complaints-database-that-could-disappear-from-view

#5yrsago Little Brother is 10 years old today: I reveal the secret of writing future-proof science fiction https://www.tor.com/2018/04/26/ten-years-of-cory-doctorows-little-brother/

#1yrago Bottled water monopolist admits recycling is bullshit https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/26/plastic-fatalistic/#recycled-lies

_,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,__,.-'~'-.,_

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in San Diego, Burbank, Mountain View, Berkeley, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, DC, Gaithersburg, Oxford, Hay, Manchester, Nottingham, London, and Berlin!

[catholicartistsnyc]

Meet Vancouver-based Photographer Colleen Umali

COLLEEN UMALI is a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-based wedding and portrait photographer.  [website | instagram]

Colleen shared with the Catholic Artist Connection about her work as a wedding photographer and how to thrive spiritually during a pandemic. Read our full interview below! 

Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?

I was born and raised in Manila, Philippines but when I was 7 years old, my parents felt the call to move to Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver is home and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? 

In the past, I’ve never thought of myself as a Catholic artist. I just saw myself as another kid on the Internet with a passion for photography while being unashamedly Catholic. I try to be as authentic as I can on social media and sometimes post reflections on God’s goodness.

Photographing weddings has always been my dream. I would do it occasionally for family and friends when they asked, but never seriously considered turning it into a business. But the Lord in His goodness knew these desires of my heart, and in the midst of a global pandemic, He turned this dream into a reality. I began to receive clients out of nowhere. One bride hired me specifically because she saw I had experience in photographing Catholic weddings. This was a huge moment of realization that unintentionally, all the weddings I photographed in the past were all Catholic weddings. 

Today, I do see myself as a Catholic artist. Sure, elopement photos on a mountaintop are beautiful, but I’m not here to show off pretty pictures. My purpose behind launching a wedding photography business (on top of a full time career) is to honor the Lord through the sanctity of marriage. It is so beautiful to witness how He works in people’s lives to bring them together, and I find so much joy in helping couples tell this story. I love getting to know the couples I work with, and there is nothing better than having deep conversations with them about God’s goodness.

Where in Vancouver do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?

I love my church, St. Matthew’s Parish, because the community is so vibrant and filled with many young people striving to follow the Lord. The youth group’s monthly Adoration nights are always so beautiful. I also serve as a leader for University Christian Outreach (UCO) here in the Vancouver chapter. During the pandemic, we couldn’t meet in person with the university students so we began to hold worship nights over Zoom. At one event, students from other chapters joined us. Despite time differences, we were able to worship with students from Israel, LA, Calgary and Michigan! I also find spiritual fulfillment from regularly meeting up (over Zoom) with like-minded women for book studies, Bible studies and heartfelt, Christ centered conversations. 

What is your daily spiritual practice?

No matter how busy I am, I try to start every day in prayer. I find that when I offer up my day to Jesus, the stresses become a little less stressful. I like to read the daily Mass readings and the reflections from Blessed is She. My women’s group is currently doing the Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible Study so I try to read a few chapters a day. I also like to have a mini praise and worship session alone in my car on my drives to work. I’m currently loving Maverick City Music!

How do you financially support yourself as an artist?

I have a full time job doing kidney research for a large Vancouver biotech. I love my career and the opportunity to make a difference through science. Wedding photography is my passion and I don’t see it as a means of steady income but as a creative outlet. I love meeting people and telling their unique stories. I am still doing my best to put myself and my business out there in a competitive market with wedding photographers on every corner. But in keeping photography as a passion, I’m able to do what I love without the pressure of having to earn enough to make ends meet.

What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

1. Surround yourself with people who support, motivate and push you to become the best version of yourself! I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for my best friend saying “you’re launching your website tonight. No excuses.”

2. Believe in yourself! You are worthy and you are good enough. God gave you these talents for a reason. Use them to glorify Him.

3. Let God do the rest. Whether your art remains a passion or becomes a source of income — follow where He leads. Follow His will for your life and you’ll never be disappointed.

(C) Colleen Umali 

[evstenroos]

Want to be featured on our new website?

From the archive: June 1st, 2020

COMING SOON: A NEW EVSTENROOS WEBSITE

We're in the midst of developing a new website to help make your shopping experience even better. But, we need your help. What updates would you like to see? What new features can we add? We would love to hear your feedback and recommendations!

We would also love if you could email us photos from your favourite special occasions, be it an engagement party, wedding, or family reunion, that features your EVStenroos jewellery. Be sure to include the name of the photographer for proper credit as these images may be added to EVStenroos' Client Lookbook Gallery on the new website!  

Last but not least, we want to thank our long-term friends, whom Ellinor met in university, for the amazing CGI renderings (catch the sneak-peek above) that will be part of our online update. Wooden Gun is a CGI and post production studio specializing in bespoke image creation, and they were very excited to work on a set of CGI images involving jewellery. We absolutely love the finished results, and can't wait to share more with you!

Wooden Gun can be found on Instagram at @bywoodengun and at www.wooden-gun.com

WORK WE LOVE: RINGS FOR HIM AND HER

After seeing a friend wearing a custom piece from EVStenroos, Suzanne Stewart knew Ellinor would be the one to design her engagement ring.

"I have really specific taste and didn't want a traditional wedding ring with a solitaire cut-diamond. Ellinor's work is modern and clean but timeless in a unique way."

This is why when Suzanne's husband, Shea Kerwood, Founder and Creative Director of Brandsmith—a strategic brand development company—popped the question, using a 3D printed ring from a previous EVStenroos collection.

"We were in Paris and had just spent the day cruising around, picking up wine, cheese, and baguettes. When we got back to the little apartment we were staying in, we started listening to a song we had heard before. Out of nowhere, we started dancing, and I thought wow this is how I want to propose, during a beautiful sweet moment with just the two of us. It really summed up how I wanted to spend every day with her. I used a 3D printed ring from Ellinor to propose and told Suzanne they would design her engagement ring together."

The finished result is a set of three, stackable rings. Suzanne's engagement ring is a brushed gold eternity band with channel set baguette diamonds. Her wedding ring is polished gold with brilliant round diamonds spaced & scattered evenly around the ring. Shea gifted her with the third ring on their wedding day. It is the most traditional, a polished gold eternity band encased with tiny square diamonds.

Ellinor also designed Shea's wedding ring—a simple gold band with a single asymmetrical baguette diamond notched into one of the edges.

"Working with Ellinor is so easy, in the sense that you can talk to her about your vision and she'll guide you through all of your options and recommend things you hadn't even thought of before," concludes Shea.

OTHER THINGS WE'VE BEEN LOVING: COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, ONLINE CONTENT AND MORE...

LET'S TALK ABOUT MONEY WITH ANIA B

Ania Boniecka is a content creator living and working in Calgary, Alberta. During quarantine, she's launched a new IGTV series called Let's Talk About Money where she discusses finances with small business owners, creative professionals, and local entrepreneurs. Not only is it highly entertaining but it's a great and timely educational resource for anyone trying to get their bank account in order.

Watch Here

ADESSO'S CHARITY COLLABORATION

Local menswear brand, Adesso Man has launched a survival kit in responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. It contains one face masks and a bottle of their hand sanitizer, developed and made right here in Calgary. But the best part is that 20% of sales will be donated to The Mustard Seed in Calgary, to help support our most vulnerable communities who are at high-risk of contracting the virus.

Learn More

CURBSIDE CONCERTS

Two Calgary musicians, Matt Masters and Amanda Burgener, have launched a traveling concert series throughout Western Canada. If you are looking for a special birthday or anniversary surprise, you can book a six or ten-song concert to be performed in your front yard! Plus, it's a great way to support local musicians while practicing social distancing.

Learn More

[randomoranges]

olympic au part 51

Epilogue

--

 Many Months Later

 “Good evening, are you all set to place your order?”

 Étienne picked up his menu again and looked at the waitress, “Yes, I’ll have the special of the day and – if I may ask, is Chef Murphy in today?”

 The waitress paused as she jotted down his order, “That depends – who’s asking?”

 Étienne laughed, “Tell him an old friend from Calgary, by the ways of Montréal.”

 She gave him a curious look, but promised to check as she headed towards the kitchens. Once she was gone, Étienne sat back into his seat and took a moment to observe Edward’s restaurant. It had a cozy feel, the atmosphere was good, from what he could tell, and the place was already starting to fill up, even though it wasn’t really the busy season or a busy night. If it meant business was booming, then he’d be happy for Edward.

 “No fucking way – Maisonneuve, you son of a gun! Mister celebrity in the flesh!” Edward boomed as he walked up to Étienne and clapped him on the back.

 Étienne laughed as he got up and the two exchanged a brief embrace, “I never thought I’d see your mug again – especially not in these parts of town – not the way the press has been hogging you Mister Bestseller for nineteen weeks straight! How are you?!”

 They sat back down, Edward taking the seat in front of him and Étienne gave himself a moment to drink in the sight of him. Edward hadn’t really changed, still seemed to be in his element with an apron tied in front of him, same warm smile and intelligent eyes.

 “I’m good – busy, but good – and you made me promise I’d stop by if ever I was in town, so here I am, keeping my own promises. What about you?”

 “Me? Same old – keeping busy, as you can tell. What brings you here in the dead of winter – I thought you were allergic to the cold,” He teased and Étienne flicked a breadcrumb at him.

 “Some morning talk show interview thing – Good Morning Edmonton, to talk about the book and whatnot.”

 The book was Étienne’s project after he’d returned home. A look back to his career, hockey, being queer and playing hockey, and the Olympics. Some retrospective thing his therapist had made him start years back that he’d left for dead for too long. But – the timing had felt good and so he’d hacked away at it in a fever like dream. It hadn’t been meant to see public eyes, but his sister had loved it and then one thing lead to the next – and he supposed it helped some that he had a certain Status – so before long he had a book deal, the thing was launched and he was being brought to all edges of the country to promote the book.

 “Shit, gonna have to set the PVR for that one!” Edward laughed as he took out his phone and seemed to genuinely set up a reminder for it. Étienne was slightly touched by that.

 “How’s life been post Olympics?” Étienne asked as he took a sip of his water.

 “Hectic, really, had to get back to the grind and such, but – you’re probably gonna laugh, remember Calvin?”

 How could he not? They’d – sort of kept in touch afterwards, but between time zones, different schedules and no real time to build a connection outside of the Olympics, they’d lost touch, sort of. Still, Étienne sometimes saw a post of his on one of the social media platforms they followed each other on – same with Edward, and knew he was doing well.

 “Yeah, what about him?”

 “We’re – sort of seeing each other.”

 Étienne’s eyes widened and he did indeed laugh.

 “See, told you – I know it’s lame –”

 Étienne cut him off before he could go on, “Shut up, it’s not lame, congrats, man, give him my regards? How is he?”

 Edward nodded and gave him a small enigmatic smile, before answering, “Good – busy as well – I guess we all are, but,” He was interrupted when one of the servers came up to him and told him something quickly, “Shit – I gotta get back, listen, I’m not done catching up with you, so linger a bit before you leave?”

 “All right, off with you.”

 Edward was out of his seat and headed towards the back as he waved at him and Étienne sat back, amused. It was a strange, small world.

 --

 Edward unfortunately, was unable to return to see him, but Étienne figured it was to be expected. The restaurant was full and he had work to do. Still, it had been nice to see him, even if for a few moments and he’d send him a message later on.

 The meal was excellent and it briefly reminded Étienne of the plethora of meals he had had at the dining halls during the Olympics. A little signature Edward had clearly made its way to those dishes and he’d found the essence here as well. When he asked his waitress for the bill, she came back to him with it in a leather ledger of sorts.

 He took out his credit card and then opened the ledger only to find a singular sheet of paper with nothing on it safe for a message that read, on the house followed by an address and a note telling him to get there at his own pace and time and that he’d join later on.

 Intrigued and slightly perplexed, Étienne took out a fifty and left it for the waitress, before he took a cab to the address on the paper.

 He wasn’t sure what he would find when he got there, but when he arrived, it was to a charming little bungalow with the living room lights on. Étienne went to the door and rang the doorbell, wondering what game Edward had set him on and then was evidently surprised when Calvin opened the door.

 “No fucking way,” He muttered as Calvin greeted him with a big hug.

 “Ed called to let me know you were on your way. I guess he didn’t tell you I was in town?” Calvin asked as he helped him inside and took his coat and hat.

 “He didn’t, but this is a pleasant surprise.” He said as he finished removing the rest of his winter gear

 “Oh, I’m sure you’ll see that by the end of the night, this won’t be the only surprise.”

 Étienne laughed, already having an idea of where this was going and followed Calvin back to the living room, to properly catch up with him.

 And later, a few hours down the line, Edward returned home and this time, they had all the time in the world to catch up together.

 FIN.

Previous: XLX

Current: XLXI