Browsing Tag

Toronto

The Meme-ing of Life According to Second City

Second City Toronto Cast

Second City’s new show, The Meme-ing of Life, which examines technology’s impact on modern relationships, induces nostalgic feelings for a time when people spent more time talking than texting. From sifting through online dating profiles on Lavalife’s website to coping with YouTube addictions, The Meme-ing of Life essentially covers everything in today’s zeitgeist.

One wonderful sketch features a driver (Jan Caruana) intensely frustrated with a border crossing guard (Nigel Downer). The majority of Torontonians seem to have a funny story about discretely indulging in shopping sprees abroad or hiding beer in the trunk, so this is remarkably relatable material. Next time you and your partner drive to the United States and they ask if you have anything to declare, perhaps you should test out the following line as your response: “Yes, officer, our love.”

While it’s easy to bond over stories about crossing the border, few local experiences compare to encounters with sketchy people on the TTC. Another sketch effectively pokes fun at how single people can potentially find love amidst all the smelly commuters. Through interactions that gradually become flirtatious, a man’s efforts to sit in the seat a woman reserves for her purse eventually lead to a make-out session on public transit. Local newspapers are filled with stories of missed connections, so theirs is perfectly suitable for a dating story about Generation Y’s hook-up culture.

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March 24, 2013 by

Behind the Band: Two Hours Traffic

Two Hours Traffic
Some Western students may have missed Two Hours Traffic’s last local concert to attend Homecoming festivities instead. Thankfully, the Canadian band is returning to Call the Office on Tuesday to promote their new album Foolish Blood.

Their latest tour began at the end of February and recently included a stop in Texas for the SXSW festival. No matter where they perform, Liam Corcoran, lead vocalist for Two Hours Traffic, emphasizes he values his eastern Canadian heritage.

“The sound we have is kind of reminiscent of the Halifax pop sound,” Corcoran remarks. “I think between the way we write songs and the way we sound, I think we belong to a kind of family of bands that started out in Halifax. Also, [it seems] we must have an accent, although I don’t really notice it.”

Two Hours Traffic is content living in Prince Edward Island, but Corcoran has his eye on Toronto as his future home. Corcoran admits America’s song-writing capital Nashville, Tennessee is a particularly appealing alternative too.

“We have a lot of friends [in Toronto] and family as well. We know the city really well,” Corcoran says. “I’ve never seriously thought about anywhere other than Toronto, [but] I daydream about a few places.”

Recognizing concerts with major headliners are relatively rare in Canada’s remote areas like the Northwest Territories, Corcoran likes playing there because everyone truly appreciates the opportunity to see them play live.

The band’s catchy hit song “Jezebel” has been featured on many film and television soundtracks, including in episodes of popular teen shows like One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl. Eager to interact with fans that discovered them on such TV shows, Corcoran and his fellow band mates tend to hang around the merchandise table after concerts.

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March 15, 2013 by

Behind the Brand: Lenovo

It’s one thing to like an electronics brand on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

It’s quite another to learn about technology trends for the new year.

Name: John Swinimer (@jswinimer)

Position: PR & Communications Manager

Employer: Lenovo

Education: English, York University

Professional role model: John B. Challinor – Director of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé

Describe your favourite part of your job in 140 characters or less:

I’m a tech geek – what’s new and exciting for consumers. I enjoy communicating new ideas and stories. I value relationships with journalists.

How does Lenovo maintain top-of-mind awareness for Canadian consumers?

Lenovo works closely with top computer and electronics retailers to spread the news for consumers. Lenovo also has strong relationships with tech journalists who speak about Lenovo products to educate consumers about their purchases.

Favourite memory of attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas:

My favourite memory of CES is rekindling friendships with journalists and making new friends along the way. Bumping into Felicia Day was also pretty cool.

What is the most buzz-worthy product that debuted at CES 2013?

Not to sound too pretentious, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon table top PC received a lot of attention from journalists and critics at CES, and it won many awards.

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January 31, 2013 by

Urban Outfitters’ Grand Opening in London

After Blockbuster closed its doors, Urban Outfitters seized the opportunity to open its first London, Ontario location. Transforming the former video rental store into an urban shopping paradise required over eight months of construction followed by final touches done by the chain’s visual display team.

Their extensive preparations certainly paid off and district manager Sarah Leising is more than pleased with how the 8,000 square foot space looks now. Eager to see London’s students visit and shop with friends and family, she’s confident that the store’s uniquely “eccentric” environment will make it a hot spot on Richmond Row.

Although Urban Outfitters has grown to become an international chain, Sarah emphasized that they make an ongoing effort to be “culturally relevant,” such as through collaborations with local designers and organizations.

To connect with London’s music lovers, the store is hosting a grand opening party on Thursday February 7. The Elwins, Eternal Summers and Richie Blackz will perform on the second level from 6-8 PM. Get there early!

Sales associate and MIT classmate Stephanie Edwards is excited to work there, knowing that she can be herself and have fun on the job. Her co-worker Monique told me she’s equally jazzed about her part-time job because she likes the store’s alternative vibe and the flexible dress code for employees.

I’ve shopped at Urban Outfitters in Washington, Las Vegas, New York, Montreal and Toronto, so I can attest that Urban Outfitters has a great selection and I’m excited to monitor new arrivals at their London store.

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January 30, 2013 by

iPhone Transition and Recommended Apps

After my last exam of the semester, I took the earliest train to Toronto the next morning, eager to finally pick up a new phone. Though my excitement was interrupted by a transportation-related delay, the shopping experience that followed was unlike any other. I finally got to browse though Yorkdale’s new extension, including Canada’s first Microsoft store, which was great because I’m a PC.

Photo Source: Mashable

Buying a black 16 GB iPhone 5, which’ll be protected by a black OtterBox Defender, was a fantastic way to start my winter break. The case is so mightily thick that my friends have been teasing me about how the phone looks, but having peace of mind makes it worthwhile. During the initial activation of my phone, it was immediately apparent that using it is as intuitive as people say. Once my contacts were transferred from my BlackBerry Tour 9630 (3 years old, with a trackwheel!), I could proudly call myself an iPhone owner.

I’ve had a lot of fun downloading and testing out apps. Here’s a list of 20 apps I recommend, sorted categorically:

Social Networking & Photo: Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Skype

Entertainment & Music: Flixster (w/ Rotten Tomatoes), GetGlue, Cineplex, Shazam, IMDB

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December 30, 2012 by