My best friend Martin Warszawski has a piece in Calgary’s only animation festival, “Animated City!”

GIRAF Animation Festival is pleased to announce a brand new project literally animating the streets of Calgary! Animated City is a two part initiative: a series of large-scale projections on the sides of buildings in downtown Calgary, and a collection of rear projections in the windows of cool community businesses along 17^th avenue and in Kensington. Hitting the streets in early November, Animated City promises a series of psychedelic, experimental and mind-blowing animations, with many made by local animators.

He’s an incredible artist, talented as he is tall, and his animation will be projected at the Jubilee Auditorium, North Wall, November 5th from 7PM to midnight.

GIRAF

Danny Ponomar via Lethbridge Daily Photo Dose

This is my friend, Chef Doug. He’s a (culinary) Olympian heading to Luxembourg. Think Iron Chef on hard mode.

He also made me the best damn Manhattan ever.

Overes can handle the heat (via Lethbridge Herald)

During convocation, we were shown some memorable clips from past honourary degree recipients, one being Chava Rosenfarb, Yiddish writer and Holocaust survivor. She received an honourary degree in 2006 and was invited to give the convocation address.

Thanks to keepmethoton on YouTube, I was able to find her full speech. You might want to grab a box of Kleenex for this one…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NYPRBkRTj0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X17mD64hkd4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiwSPg4jC3M

Skateistan is Afghanistan’s—and the world’s—first co-educational skateboarding school. The school engages growing numbers of urban and internally-displaced youth in Afghanistan through skateboarding, and provides them with new opportunities in cross-cultural interaction, education, and personal empowerment. Our students come from all of Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. They will not only develop skills in skateboarding and skateboarding instruction, but also healthy habits, civic responsibility, information technology, the arts, and languages. The students themselves decide what they want to learn—we connect them with teachers who will enable them to develop the skills that they consider important. Since Skateistan has been active in Kabul, we’ve seen that Afghan youth of all ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds love to skateboard. Skateistan brings them together, equipping young men and women with the skills to lead their communities toward social change and development.

Skateistan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfm_0a58EXE

I’ve known Kim for a few years, here and there, and he actually is a talented and dedicated guy (despite the infomercials). Let’s find him some work!

Please Hire Kim Siever (also on Facebook)

Look, he even gives a shot out to Lethbridge, buuuuuddy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LphH287Wf8U

Thanks to DJ Booda for the video link!

UPDATE: Wow, I really got my hopes up for nothing. What a wash out!

This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to listen to Jessi Cruickshank speak to Lethbridge College students at their new student orientation. So I took it.

Anyway, I only went because she was a MTV hostess, as well as a hot ginger. But then I discovered how cool of a person she is, and how she’s an ambassador for Free the Children. She had some interesting stories about living with families in India and Kenya, such as the time she drank blood straight from a slaughtered goat’s throat.

Basically, I am writing this post to gloat that I met her. Yes, I actually touched her. And haven’t washed my right hand since Tuesday! Oh, and take a look at Free the Children to donate!

Check out his photography, including more of the storm, on his Flickr photostream.

Drinks & Laughs. Scenery & Family
Many people think that Lethbridge is a dreary windy hole of a town, I tend to agree but there is places that make this town worth wild. Living here most of my life I am ashamed to say I don’t know this town as well as I should, but it is getting easier by reading blogs from my cousin and my brothers friend. Hopefully this year I can get out more and experience what this town has to offer, whether it’s just going for a walk or seeing a show at a local bar. For now I will share with you two of my favourite places to relax, enjoy some drinks and love life.

Backstreet West
There is nothing quite like a small, close bar that I can go and sip back on some draft guinness. Ask anyone who has been there and I am pretty sure they will agree Backstreet is a great place to be. The atmosphere is pleasing I never feel cramped in or annoyed with other people there. It is always cool to see how many regulars they have there and the different crowds that come in throughout the day. A good selection of beer is another positive and their house beer is cheap and not too shabby. The food is excellent, of course their butter is the Jaime Sandwich which if you have not tried yet, what are you waiting for? The waitresses are cute and always nice and who could complain about that. So if your craving a drink or some food head on over and you’ll be glad you did.

My Parents Backyard
This one is a little more personal and very few people have actually been in this area of Lethbridge. If you have been there consider yourself lucky because my father has built himself a little slice of paradise. Tall trees surround the fence line giving the much needed privacy from the neighbours, and in the summer the green looks amazing. The very open area is awesome and as kids we have played catch, hacky sack, and even built a mini chip and putt 2 hole course. The garden next to the patio contains many flowers my mom plants and a tree that blooms only for a coupe days out of the year but when it does it is stunning. The patio itself is big with a table for supper, fire pit, BBQ, and a small table for lounging. Recently my dad has put in buffalo grass which adds a more wild life touch and looks different and great. This place is great and I will try to get some pictures next time I am over there.

Well that’s it for today hopefully this inspires you to take a closer look at the city around you and find your own special place. Good day.

Damian Warszawski is a Lethbian who like to blog and spin records. He regularly posts his top 7 weekly music countdown and writes about music, video games, clothing, photos, experiences and pretty much anything that pops into his head.

So who am I to turn down one of my fans? I needed new photos for my Plenty of Fish profile anyways. Check out all of the dashing photos of me on their blog. Great work, thanks David!

The Annual Curated Student Exhibition provides a showcase of excellent work by Art Studio majors in that year and gives the students a valuable achievement to list on their résumés.

Her work, “Shapes,” for the exhibition “The Object of My Affection Attention” runs until April 9 in the uleth art gallery. You can also see more of Julia’s work on her blog.

The Object of My Attention: Annual Curated Student Exhibiton

Machines Beneath the Sidewalk by SLEEPY HEAD

He also has a good mustache.

Check out his website, Midnight Social or listen to more music on MySpace. There’s also a Facebook page.

It’s kinda cool when I stumble across blogs from fellow Lethbians here and there, like Daily Photo Dose and Lethbian Antics (long retired). Today, I found that my friend Martin‘s cousin has followed my lead and started her own blog called “A Lethbridgian View.” Although she spelled Lethbian completely wrong, this blog is another unique take on Lethbridge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft4HpQQc2p4

Maybe this whole “turning your back to the wind” thing is starting to take off?

A Lethbridgian View

Introduce Yourself.
Hi, I’m Jaime and I like to take photos.
I am primarily a commercial photographer. I shoot music, portraits, weddings, commercial, fashion and advertising for a living. I’ve worked in Toronto, Vancouver, Kelowna, Hawaii, Vegas… but Lethbridge has always been home.

Tell us about Daily Photo Dose.
Daily Photo Dose was influenced by a daily blog I followed when I was living in Toronto called “Top Left Pixel.” The blog is a simple view of my day to day visual experience; I post one photo a day. Inspired by this blog, I wanted to get back to my roots, photographing landscapes and streetscapes in my home town, and share my personal perspective of Lethbridge.

What inspires you?
Inspiration? I’ve done a fair bit of traveling, and out of all the places I’ve been, Lethbridge has the most beautiful sunsets! That in itself is enough inspiration to get someone to take their camera out and go shoot. I’m also born and raised here, so most days/nights I visualize part of the city, and how I could frame it in a unique way. Out of the images I’ve produced so far, the best photos seem to come when I head out to shoot in bad weather, or during the really early hours of the day.

Where can we see more of your work?
More of my commercial work can be seen on JaimeVedres.Com/Blog and prints are available on request. Thanks!

It was some guy named Stendhal who said, “Very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love.” And for those of you who haven’t completely given up yet, I have compiled a list of ways to find yourself a date, or at least a one-night stand.

The only singles-related event I could come across for tonight is “speed dating” at Henotic. Via the Lethbridge Sun Times:

…Henotic Restaurant and Lounge has a great idea for you that, at the very least, will provide an entertaining evening. From 7-9 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, speed dating will take over and you will have the opportunity to date 25 people for four minutes each. This way, if the two of you seem interested, you’ll be left wanting more, and if it isn’t going to work, you’ll be moving on in no time.

Otherwise, you could just go out and enjoy some live entertainment instead of staying at home. Here’s a good listing of happenings:

• Alberta Events
• L.A. Beat

If you’re feeling a bit apprehensive going out because all your friends are busy with their partners, you can try looking for a lover online with these free dating websites:

• OkCupid
• PlentyOfFish
• Kijiji Personals
• Craigslist Personals

I recall reading in Bridge magazine a couple of weeks ago about another dating website, although not free, which was launched by a fellow Lethbian whose name escapes me:

• Let’s Be Friends First

Then we have a matchmaking service, which might not be cheap but potentially offer a better chance of meeting someone who is right for you:

• Lethbridge Connecting Clubs
  Connections Dating Service is for single adults age 25 and up who reside in Lethbridge & Southern Alberta.

Finally, there are a few local singles groups/clubs, many that are geared towards more “mature” individuals:

• Lethbridge Singles Club
  Provide an opportunity for single people to meet others within a social framework.
• Singles’ Friendship Circle
  The Singles Friendship Circle is a group of singles who enjoy getting together for various activities throughout the month and who like to attend events as friends.
• Lethbridge Friendship Circle
  Singles Friendship Circle provides activities and social opportunities for Lethbridge and area singles ages 40 and up.

So just remember, in the words of Jack Handy, “Love can sweep you off your feet and carry you along in a way you’ve never known before. But the ride always ends, and you end up feeling lonely and bitter. Wait, it’s not love I’m describing. I’m thinking of a monorail.”

Good luck!

EDIT: Tell someone you care by sending them an e-card!

(click the cover image for the full article)

In particular, I am proud to feature an amazing artist, and one of my best friends, Martin Warszawski. Since back in the day, he and I were creative influences upon one another, drawing comics, recording puppet shows and a Shakespeare video assignment featuring a dead gopher (we found it like that).

Introduce yourself
Hi, my name is Martin Warszawski. I was born and raised in Lethbridge. I now live in Calgary and I am attending the Alberta College of Art and Design.

What are your influences?
Comic books and cartoons when i was younger. Things haven’t changed much, but now I look at a lot of fine artists and illustrators. James Jean, Gustav Klimt and Tomer Hanuka come to mind. John K, Jim Smith and Joe Madureira still have a firm hold on me from my youth. Working beside so many talented artists at school also influences me greatly. It is nice to have so many people around you to help you and feed off of. Having an awesome girlfriend that is also an artist helps. She isn’t afraid to be ruthlessly honest with me.

What are your favourite materials to work with?
Right now I would have to say oil paints and ink. If you asked me last week I would have said watercolor. Media seems to change a lot with me. It is good to explore despite how hard it is leaving a comfortable, safe medium. I am starting to get excited about my rich media class so maybe next week it will change to Photoshop and After Effects.

How long have you been drawing, and how has your art evolved?
I have been drawing all my life but I haven’t really taken it seriously until I was in sixth grade. I think that was around the time I met you Jonathan, haha. I have had many different styles and stages that I have gone through. Super heroes and cartoon characters to fine art paintings and drawings to graffiti to now. I stopped drawing and painting for the most part of a year awhile back, I think that was the worst thing I could have done. It is nice to be back into it. I think evolution is necessary if you want to stay fresh and have fun. I can’t wait to see where I go next.

Where are you headed?
I am currently in the illustration stream at school. I am still picking and choosing what I like and what I’m good at. I don’t want to say it but the dollar signs are are always there in the back of my mind so that plays a factor with what I want to get into. Motion graphics seems to be the way to go and I enjoy making animations so right now that is where I see myself going. I seem to be getting more excited about motion graphics than anything else at school right now.

Lastly, how many lights are there?
There…Are…Four…Lights!!

If you’d like to get in touch with Martin, his email address is martin.warszawski@gmail.com. He’s happy to answer any questions and is available for commission! To see more of his work, head over to http://martinwarszawski.blogspot.com.

Thanks, Martin!

Interview is after the jump. Enjoy!

Introduce yourself.

Well, I’m Zac Erickson, and I’m going to the University of Lethbridge working on my Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I’ve been married for a year and a half on the 24th, and have lived in Southern Alberta my entire life! I’ve been drawing for a long time (I used to get in trouble in Grade 4 for drawing instead of listening to the teacher).

Tell me about this web comic you have going on.

Team Jetpack 104 was originally a superhero team that I came up with back in 2004 or so while playing around with Macromedia Flash. I was going to make a cartoon about the team, but soon realized how incredibly time consuming flash really was, so I put the idea in the back of my head. About three months ago, I was getting into some cool web comics, and thought “I should try that out.” At the same time, I found an old drawing of the team and immediately knew that I needed to make the comic about them. TJ104 is really meant to be a creative exercise, but I love how its starting to grow and gain an audience.

So as a creative exercise, how has it evolved; your characters as well as your artistic skills?

It has really been awesome! I started off just messing around, drawing strips without consideration of a story arc, but lately I’ve been trying out different story arcs. I’m thinking of finding a happy medium somewhere. My first arc was like, 6 or seven strips, which was too long I thought. It lasted around a month. Now I’m aiming for around 4 strips per arc.

As for the characters, I’ve had an idea of what they were all like since the beginning, but I feel like as time goes on they’re becoming more fleshed out to the readers, and thats a pretty cool thing to see. Dorgon has become the heroic genius of the group, Tree Frog is the little brother of the group, Pakkoderm is the geeky brute. I have a Christmas arc planned to help flesh out Captain Amazing a bit more.

Also, my artistic style and process have evolved. I picked up a Wacom Bamboo tablet, which helped speed up my process. I was using a mouse for the first five or six strips. And I’m always trying out new approaches to inking, coloring, shading, etc. Having guest strips has also shown me some great different styles to the characters, which is probably one of my favorite things about the emerging and growing audience that I’ve seen.

And speaking of which, you’ve had a couple guests already (including yours truly). Is there anything else you have up your sleeve?

For right now, I’m focusing on just working on getting out a comic or two a week, depending on how school is going at the time. I love to work with other cartoonists, and I’m always willing to feature guest comics and fan art. I also think it would be really cool to do some crossover stuff with another comic. In fact, if anybody were to ever ask me to do some collaborative work with them, I would probably consider it.

I’ve also got the Create-A-Villain offer, where anyone can e-mail me with an idea for a villain and I’ll do my best to draw that villain. As of right now, though, school and family are number one, and the comic is a hobby.

Finally, I’ve seen that you sometimes do a live-stream of you drawing the strip. Where can folks watch that?

I’ve got a page set up on the website called “Streaming Live!” That’s just an embedded player though. Most people just go to the uStream channel.

That’s great! Thanks for your time.

No problem, dude! This wave thing worked well for this!

P.S. How many lights are there?

Uh…7? :s

Wrong!

There are also more on his blog. Got a photo you want to show off? Email Lethbian Love!

Downtown Exteriors

I would not have blogged about this had this not gone outside of my price range! Any cougars out there who want to buy this for me?

Jamie Vedres Photography

It is hard to find a friend or co-worker these days that have not been touched by cancer in one way or another. After losing another aunt this past Christmas there is nothing stopping me from joining this fight.

Please support me, your friends, family, co-workers and all those touched by cancer in this fight by making a donation to this year’s Relay for Life. Every bit helps!

Let’s help her go over that amount!

Relay for Life

I took 90 seconds to interview Leeroy, in case you’ve not familiar with him or his work.

Where are you from and why did you choose to make Lethbridge your home base?

Im from Victoria B.C. I moved here because of a girl about 3 years ago, we just bought a house so i would imagine we’ll be here a little bit longer

What’s your opinion of the “scene” here?

well, I dont go out much, but there are some really great musicians here but only a handful that seem to take is seriously and take there music elsewhere wich unfortunately is what you need to do to succeed unless your doing that canadian Idol kinda shit, then you might as well stay home.

What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

I dont like genres because its all just music at the end of the day. My major influences would be tom petty, bruce springsteen, ryan adams, loudon wainwright iii, steve earle, john hiatt. pretty much all the badasses…..beethoven.

Tell us about your new album.

Its very good, with some very great players on it such as Bob Furgo from the leonard cohen band, Neal Casal of the Cardinals among others.

Why did you start your new label, Rebeltone Records?

I just wanted more control over what was happening with my career, also i needed a vehicle to release the ESP record i did with tim easton and evan phillips

What was your most memorable performance?

theres been a few but I guess opening for george thorogood at the hockey rink in victoria was pretty insane, especially since it was just me and an acoustic guitar.

Your songs tend to do deal with some heavy stuff. Why is that?

i guess cause thats life ya know, sometimes it gets heavy and I tend to write about what i know

How did your music end up on Grey’s Anatomy anyway?

Well im sure the story is really quite boring, Record label dude submits it the music supervisor who finds a spot for it on the show if she likes it. Its not like Patrick Dempsey hand picked me over thousands of artists or some nonsense like that. we could pretend that was the instance though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hugCwlTwSdw

How has your music evolved?

well i guess its finally grown legs…………well like anything over time and experience it will get better. I overthink everything at this stage wich is really a hinderance id say.

Where will Leeroy Stagger be 5 years from now?

one day at a time there my friend……

Any last words?

Thanks. Go buy my record please.

Check out the show – I guarantee it’ll be great! Tickets are available at Blueprint or at the door for $15, but you can win a free pair by entering your name in the comment section below!

Leeroy Stagger

I first met Carli a couple years back, when she interned in my office. Unfortunately, she wasn’t one of “those” interns – the kind that gets you coffee and “muffins,” but I didn’t hold it against her. She’s a fellow web designer, anime geek and artist. She also makes great dip. And is a ginger.

She’s going to write about stuff, so welcome to Lethbian Love, Carli!

It seems that Vancouver musician Adaline is winning more than just the heart Robert Pattinson, but rather fans from across the world. Beyond the +30,000 plays on her MySpace page, she is now featured in CHARTattack, the Vancouver Sun and even the National Post.

“What is most touching is that many of you have said that even though you came across my website because of my chance meeting with Robert, that many of you are staying because of my music. This is why I make music — so I can share it with you. So thank you for the kind words — for telling me which songs are speaking to you — for passing on my website to your friends and family. I am so grateful.” – Adaline

As a token of her appreciation she is also offering a free MP3 download of her hit single, “Whiter/Straighter.”

For those who don’t have a clue, Robert Pattinson played Edward Cullen in Twilight and Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter. And he sparkles in the sun.

Keep up the great momentum, Adaline!

The Last Lecture (via iTunesU)

“I’m just happy to have this moment with you.”

At that point, he pulled me into an warm embrace…

Okay, maybe I skewed that just a little, though they did rub shoulders together!

But how does any of this relate to Lethbridge? Well, Shawna happens to a friend of a friend whom I briefly met some time ago. She’s a wonderfully warm and talented person, who recently played at The Slice earlier this month. It saddened me to have missed that show, but at least I have her music to listen to.

Now if you’d excuse me, I’m off to roll myself in diamond dust and watch Twilight all over again. Oh Edward, you’re so mysteriously beautiful.

The Cosmic Story of adaline and Robert Pattinson

Brocket 99 News

Q: What inspired you to create the speaker event, The Last Lecture?
A: The Last Lecture is not an original idea. I would be lying if I said that I did not have any inspiration from outside sources in coming up with the event. I distinctly remember seeing Randy Pausch’s lecture entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” and how he spoke with so much passion and wisdom to, not only his student but also his co-workers and peers. It touched those he was closest to and reached out to complete strangers.

Q: Why did you create the Last Lecture here at the University of Lethbridge?
A: I saw it as a way for professors and instructors here at the University of Lethbridge to communicate their life to students. As instructors, these people are confined to academic teachings, and only on a few instances, have I been enlightened on a progressive way of thinking that exceeds molecular genetics and organic chemistry. Many students and staff develop personal relationships with these people and I wanted to give them an opportunity – a chance to speak their mind about love, life, and all its hardships and tribulations – to give a heartfelt speech to those they cared about and to those who cared about them.

Q: Why not any other speaker event?
A: Convenience has a part to do with it – after all, it takes a great deal of effort and resources to book speakers from agents who have no personal investment aside from their reputations. I believe the local community is overlooked in terms of speakers. Many people regard their professors as someone who specializes in their field and nothing more – as though they are some sort of robot that is put into a closet at night until the next day’s lecture. This is the wrong mindset to get into, these people have been through university as both a student and as a tutor, and they are perfect by no means.

Since these people are not perfect, they have faced many troubles that we face today and to hear how they overcome their obstacles can inspire us to do the same. I want people to hear these professors speak and to hear how they’ve reached their current spot as respected, smart members of society and how we can do the same.

I remember my first year of university where my chemistry professor, Dr. Peter Dibble, told the class, “How many of you think I’m smarter than you?” The majority of the class put up their hands, he joked, “Those who didn’t put up your hands are very arrogant. But you’re right. The only thing that makes me different than you is experience”.

He is right. The only thing that makes us different than each other, different from our friends, different from our instructors is experience. And that’s something I want to emphasize, especially with this lecture series.

Q: How do you feel about this year’s Last Lecture?
A: I think Jenn Prosser is completely incompetent and inept. Next question. Just kidding Jenn. I’m actually really glad that I started a legacy lecture here at the University of Lethbridge. In ten, twenty, thirty years from now, I can look back and say that I have impacted the lives of not only other students, but of the lecturers, of everybody who cared to listen and change their lives for the better.

This years Last Lecture features Political Science professor Chris Kukucha, Education professor Robin Bright and Management professor Craig Milner. It begins at 7pm and is in PE 264, all are welcome and admission is free.