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Lights

Lights is a Candian Juno award-winning musician. Her full name is Lights Poxleitner, though she was born Valerie Anne Poxleitner in 1987. Another native of Ontario, she is now living in Toronto.


Her musical style is that of electropop/synthpop. It's a unique genre in which synthesizers are used to add a cool or even robotic feel to the sound. One of the most well-known songs currently in this genre is Fireflies by Owl City. Lights has actually been dubbed the female version of Owl City, and she has even been on tour with him this past year throught Canada, the US, and Europe. She will also play in the Lilith Fair concert series this summer.


Check out her albums on iTunes. Here are also a few of her music videos. I think they're quite fun.







Links:
www.iamlights.com
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Bon Jovi

Who hasn't heard of these guys? Bon Jovi is a classic, A CLASSIC! With millions of records sold and a career that started way back in 1983, this well-loved American rock group has never failed to deliver memorable hits. Some you may recognize include Livin' on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, and It's my Life.



I thought I'd share a little more Bon Jovi love with some pics and vids for their Circle Tour concert that I went to on July 15th, 2010 (exactly a month ago). It was held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Their opening act was none other than Kid Rock, another well-known big shot of country-rock.

You Give Love a Bad Name:


Pretty Woman:


Livin' on a Prayer:


I was sitting in the cheap seats section, but that did not dampen my experience in any way. The stage setup was great and the sound was quite crisp and definitely LOUD enough. This crowd was full of energy and the music was just plain awesome. The set was very looong. What more could you ask for?

Links:
http://www.bonjovi.com/
http://www.kidrock.com/

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is based off of a series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley. It was released in Canadian theatres today, August 13th, 2010.


The basic premise goes something like this:
Scott is a 23 yr old guy. He's out of school, has no job, and lives in a tiny room/house "liar", sharing its only bed with his gay roommate. Scott is also in a band (called the Sex Bob-ombs) and is currently dating a catholic high schooler (who's chinese). One day he dreams of this other girl. He meets other girl (Ramona Flowers) in real life. He starts dating Ramona. Suddenly he starts getting attcked by her seven evil exs, who wants to battle him to the death for Ramon'a love.

It's a fast paced movie. Not too too much character developement to be found. But the stylization and funny dialogue makes it so very enjoyable. It's set up like a video game - with extra lives, bonus points, and evil characters bursting into coins upon death. Even the music takes on the whimsy feel of games. It's bound to become a cult favourite.

The story all takes place in Toronto. Seriously, it's in Toronto. They didn't just shoot here and pretend that it was New York or Chicago like most Hollywood movies do. It's purely Canadian. There's the TTC, Second Cup coffee, Queen Street, Casa Loma, and even the ever tacky Honest Ed's.

Come on, a nerdy movie based on a comic book, protrayed like a video game, and actually takes place in Toronto? Awesome!


Here's the official trailer for it:


It also had music from Metric in it:


Links:
http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/
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So You Think You Can Dance - Finale S7


So You Think You Can Dance? No, not really. Actually, not at all. I know I can't! haha. But that doesn't stop me from connecting with this show. I love love LOVE this show. Every year, it seems that I get swept away with this competition and it's just a wonderful feeling. To be able to get a glimpse into the dancers real journey is great.

I get attached to certain dancers each season, and can't help but root them on whenever I so much as hear their name. Some, like Katee Shean or Twitch, have had rountins that will forever stick in my memory. I laugh at their stilly antics. I cry at their displays of emotion. I get angry at certain comments from the judges. But mostly, I sit in awe at their amazing athleticism.


This year's season seven of the show harelded in new format changes, new dance styles, but brought back some familiar faces. They invited an "All-Star" crew of past contestants back to partner with this year's top 11 dancers. I was glad to see them again, but I kinda wished they stuck with the old format. That way we'd get to see the new faces showcased a bit more.

Out of the top 11, my favourite was Alex Wong. A ballet dancer from Vancouver, who could surprising KILL any dance routine they threw at him no matter what the genre. I can't even describe how dissapointed I was when he got injured and had to withdraw from competition this year. I wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he'll be back on the dancefloor doing what he loves again soon. Although, I still stick to my judgement that he would have won the entire thing if not for this unfortunate event. =(

Tonight, was the season finale of the show. Left standing were Kent Boyd, Lauren Froderman, and Robert Roldan. I think that all three of them deserved their spots (and in that order too). It was great show as usual, with guest stars and a redancing of the great hits of the year. (Even Alex was there!)



And at the end of it all, a winner was declared... Lauren Froderman!!! Now I really thought that Kent would win, but I'm not at all upset with this outcome. Kent is such a great young dancer that his oppertunities are pretty much boundless at this point. Go Lauren!

Don't be sad that SYTYCD is over for the season though. There's still So You Think You Can Dance Canada!! Season three premieres this Sunday, Aug 15th. Make sure to catch it on TV.

(ps: Wonderful filming location for the promo!
- I have my own personal reasons for loving it ^_^)


I got offered tickets to go see this years SYTYCDC top 20's live performance show, but I couldn't go cause I'd be out of town that date!! What horribleness. Hopefully I'll get more ticket offers though! If you're interested, you can try to get tickets on their website.

Links:
So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance Canada
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Talk 1: Exercising

I think I shall have weekly Wednesday "talks". Since the majority of what I write about will be entertainment related (music, movies, tv, etc.), this will be the day where I will digress from those areas and blab on about some random topic. So on with the first topic:

Everybody knows that you're supposed to "eat healthy and exercise". Sometimes it's harder to stick to that mantra than not. You'll see that yummy bag of chips or you'll feel tired after a long day of work. There are so many different excuses and believe me, we've all taken quite a few.

I find that eating properly is just a matter of changing your lifestyle to accommodate healthier choices. I'm most definitly not talking about a crash diet, but more of a gradually shifting in your meal planning. This is something I'm working on... (but those desserts are just too good! haha)


Excercise on the other hand is hard to take up if you've never been very active. You'll get lazy and all of those excuses you have built up will just be an easy way out. You have to stay committed to the goal in order for it to work.

I personally like physical activities - swimming, squash, soccer. But with my busy schedule, I find that it's hard to find the time to fit them in. Work, school, studying, sleep - that's basically where the majority of my focus goes to. However, there's always a way to sneak some form of excercise in. For example, I have taken to walking home from (and sometimes to) work - that's a good 45-60 min walk each way. You may not think that walking is true excercise, but at least you are moving.

Also, on any days that I end up coming home early, I'll go down to the gym for about an hour. If you have any extra time that you didn't expect, this is a good way to invest it. Even if you are stuck at a desk doing work or reading, you could get small hand weights and do something with them while you sit.


Another great way to motivate yourself is to join fitness classes. Being with a bunch of other people usually does make me want to push myself a little bit harder. It's also nice to meet other people who have similiar interests with you. There are gyms and clubs in every city that you could join. If your city has a Lululemon Athletica store, I suggest you look into taken a class there. They offer free weekly classes to the community at just about all of thier locations. I've taken 2 types of yoga, zumba, and a "bootcamp" class there. They also have a running club that I'll probably test out one day (I want to build up more stamina first though).

There are a variety of things you can try out, no matter what your fitness levels are at. Some are high intensity (like running and aerobics), others are relaxing (like yoga or pilates). Go out and find something that will meet your needs and interests.

I'm going to leave you with the "lululemon manifesto" - something that that store has devised as rules to live by. I find that some of them are indeed interesting and valid points.

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Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon is a stage musical that had its start back in 1989 in London's West End. It was created by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil (who also did Les Misérables). It holds the record as the 10th longest running Broadway show ever.


The story was losely based on the story of Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly but relocated to the era of the Vietnam war. It revolved around the romance of one young Vietnamese girl and an American GI.

Last month, Dancap Productions company put on Miss Saigon in Toronto. It was staged at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. This was the first time the show has been officially performed in Toronto since 1993.

Also returning with the show was Ma-Anne Dionisio for the main role of Kim (the girl). This was a role that Dionisio has not only played in Canada before, but also in British, Australian and American productions. I must say that her voice was lovely for the role.

Now I don't really want to give away the plot of the musical, but I can tell you that this is not one of those sing-dance-and-have-a-grand-ole-time type of shows. The characters had depth and there were plausible reasons fueling their actions. There were moments of joy, fear, anger, regret... and it was all played out so well. From the music to the acting, the cast put on quite a believable performance. They had me tearing up by the end too.

Here's a video from the original West End cast of Miss Saigon. They had a worldwide casting call for the lead roles. This led the producers to discover the wonderful Lea Salonga, one of the most well-known musical actresses of this generation. She was 18 when she played Kim.


I'll most definately see Miss Saigon again if I ever have the chance. That's a promise.
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Priscilla Ahn

Priscilla Ahn's music is one of favourites. There's no question but to simply put her album on repeat and just melt into the atmosphere. I'd describe her style as acoustics and either quirky or hauntingly beautiful melodies. It's the kind of mellow sound that you'd welcome after a long day, curled up in a comfy sofa with a cup of warm tea.


She currently resides in Los Angeles although she has lived in a few other American cities and even South Korea as a child. She officially started her music career about a year after graduating high school. Priscilla Ahn has so far released one studio album, entitled "A Good Day". It can be purchased through iTunes or Amazon, or you can check her website.



Link:
Official: http://www.priscillaahn.com/
Her Blog: http://girlinatree.blogspot.com/
 
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