Cool - Coldplay

It's been a few days since I went to the Coldplay concert so the ringing in my ears has stopped and the proverbial high that everyone gets after a concert has finally warn off. My dear friend Margaret joined me in our floor seats where we enjoyed an amazing concert with some great music. The show first started with the Howling Bells from Australia who were not bad, but Margaret and I both agreed that the lead singer had an amazingly sexy voice. Perhaps it was the accent. Anyways, the second opening act was Snow Patrol who I would be more than willing to shell out good money to see in their own concert. Some of the highlights from their set list included Chocolate, Hands Open, Open Your Eyes, and their stand out hit Chasing Cars, which we have all butchered during Sing Star.


Coldplay hit the stage at around 9pm with sparklers shooting and the band's shadow slowly emerging into view as they sang Violet Hill. Soon the backdrop revealed the painting from the Viva La Vida album with a woman with bare breast who shared a striking resemblance to Vivian Lo. Later on, the band performed Yellow where the audience was appropriately bathed in yellow lights and yellow balloons were bounced around like giant volley balls by the fans. Some standout performances included some of my favorite songs including Fix You and Lost! The band then ventured on to the side stage where they got extremely close to the audience and Chris Martin performed The Hardest Part alone on stage with just a piano. He soon joined the rest of the band again on the main stage to perform a lively rendition of Viva La Vida, which got the entire crowd buzzing from excitement and it was truly a spectacular experience to witness live.


The band then moved to the back of the Saddledome to transform some of the worst seats instantly into the best seats of the house. They performed Death Will Never Conquer and Chris even managed to name drop the Calgary Flames into the song, which made the fans go wild! They completed the set in the back stage with a cover of I'm A Believer, which the entire stadium gladly sang along.


Finally, Coldplay moved back to the front stage where they preformed songs such as Lovers In Japan, with Japanese images flashing on the screen and a sky of butterflies falling on the audience. It was amazing!!! Thankfully, before the concert ended, the band also performed The Scientist which is one of my absolute favorite songs and I was extremely worried that I would not be able to see. The song was definitely worth the wait and I'm so glad that they left it till almost the end. Finally, Coldplay finished the evening with The Escapist and the curtain fell to reveal Viva splashed across the screen. The concert was simply outstanding and the band didn't need to rely on over-the-top stunts to keep the crowd entertained. It was just wonderful music and the charm of four guys from the U.K. that had 15,000 people hanging on to every note.

Cool - Dancing Man

I saw this in the Herald the other day and thought it was just another youtube video where we laugh at the humiliation of another person, but it ended up bringing a smile to my face. It starts out very similar to such videos with a guy dancing without a care, while onlookers stare in disbelief. I'm sure the people filming the guy thought that they needed to capture this, so they can send it to their friends and all share in on the laughter. However, he manages to do something quite remarkable, he convinces one person to dance along and shed his inhibitions. Then another person joins in and soon everyone is rocking out with the dancing man! Notice that the people filming the video ask how he manages to do that, how he managed to inspire an entire crowd to get on their feet and simply enjoy the music. This is an awesome video to remind us all that the judgments of others should never stop us from what we want to do. It turns out dancing man also happens to be a local Calgarian so I hope you can all enjoy life like he does, forget what other people might think and just dance like nobody is watching.

Cool - Websites

I totally underestimated how long CASB would take me, so I've been neglecting this blog for the past two weeks. Thankfully, there's no face-to-face session this weekend so hopefully I can get ahead on my tasks and even take some time to update COOP. I thought I would share with you some of the websites that I visit in order to avoid CASB.

First and most importantly, I have been following SkyscraperPage forum for the past two years and I have to admit that I can't start any of my tasks until I check up on the site. I waste most of my days on this website, but it's definitely sparked my interest for urban design and architecture. The Calgary constituent on the forum is probably the largest and I can't think of any other sources where you can find better inside information about Calgary development than SkyscraperPage. The posters range from employees of design firms to staff members of the city so this will probably be the first place to learn about current projects and future proposals. This site certainly has an urban bias, so some of you may not agree with the comments being posted. However, this site has really changed my opinion about urban planning and I now use it to fuel my debates with my fellow suburban friends.

I has been planning to discuss my favorite Internet sites for quite some time but unfortunately, Dan Levy had posted some of his favorite fashion websites on DOOP so I thought I should hold off on my list. Like Dan, I'm an avid reader of the Sartorialist, or should I say viewer. Scott Schuman is a fashion blogger who captures the amazing sartorial choices of New Yorkers, but has now traveled around the world to photograph distinctive international style. Over time, he has provided images for style.com and GQ magazine, but I've been following his blog before he hit it big. Anyways, it's a great site to get inspired by fashion from across the globe.

Another website that is part of my daily routine is Centre City Talk. The site is essentially a blog that is maintained by the City of Calgary but focuses primarily on the downtown core of the city. It has excellent information urban issues affecting the downtown and currently has some cool renderings of the new RiverWalk project and upgrades to Eau Claire Plaza. Obviously it's not as thorough as SkyscraperPage but it comes directly from the city itself.

Unlike Steph, I've made the switch to electronic newspapers a long time ago to reduce wastage of paper. Well that and I'm too cheap to pay for a newspaper. Anyways, the Calgary Herald is my primary source for local news but it really isn't the most objective form of media. Although it is a step ahead of the garbage that is the Calgary Sun, it really is not saying much. Just don't read the comments section, it really makes me lose faith in humanity and I honestly can't believe how stupid some Calgarians are...

I honestly swear I'm not ripping off DOOP but Men.Style.com is another site that I visit on a daily basis. The site contains a lot of articles from Details and GQ so save yourself the magazine subscription and just read the articles online. However, it does have some great content that is unique to the website and it also provides annual coverage of the fall and spring collections from New York, Milan, and Paris. Plus, Tim Blanks from Fashion File is a contributor to the site!

Finally, I can't compile a list of my favorite websites without mentioning GOOP, for there would be no COOP without GOOP. Oh Gwyneth, I too would like to nourish the inner aspect.

Cool - Mugs That Look Like Disposable Cups

You wouldn't think that such a collection could exist but feast your eyes on my mugs. Well, it's not really a collection but just three cups that I thought were hilarious and I needed to own. My first cup (left) I got from the MoMA online store and it's inspired by the "We Are Happy To Serve You" cups that are found through out New York. It's a piece of crap though because if you ever try to drink hot liquids from it, you will burn your hands so I only use it to drink cold beverages. The middle cup is obviously the iconic Starbucks cup and like I said, the best accessory in the morning will always be a venti Starbucks cup. Too bad it didn't include a sleeve though, otherwise it would be spectacular. Finally, my sister picked me up the "I Am Not A Paper Cup" cup from Urban Outfitters in Edmonton. Thank you Mary for the heads up. It features a silicone lid and is made from two layers of porcelain with a hollow cavity so you won't scorch your hands. Furthermore, the lid makes a seamless seal so it's actually portable but I fear it might break if I venture outside with it so it will stay in my cupboard. Anyways, feel free to let me know if you find any mugs that look like disposable cups and I shall add it to my collection.

Cool - Let Me Google That For You

Have you ever been asked a question on msn or Facebook that could have easily been answered if a person would simply use google? Well, I would like to introduce you to Let Me Google That For You. Next time someone has the audacity to ask you another question online, you can give them a gentle google slap that makes them feel foolish and horrible for wasting your precious time. The website provides an inconspicous link that can be sent to your friend and will show an animation of how to use google to answer all of life's question. The animation will then ask your friend if it was really that hard if you opted to use google before being lazy and relying on others for answers. Anyways, knock yourself out and have fun belittling your friends.

Cool - Family Restaurant

Thursday night is always my favorite day for watching TV because of shows like the Office and 30 Rock but there's one show in particular that I always look forward to during the week. Family Restaurant on Food Network Canada follows the Quons who operate the Lingnan which is one of the first Chinese restaurants in Edmonton as well as the popular Chicken for Lunch, which caters to the downtown lunch crowd. I never watched previous seasons of Family Restaurant but I was instantly interested when I learned it would be following a Chinese restaurant in Edmonton since it reminded me of my first job as a bus boy at Eastgate Restaurant when I was 12 years old. Man, I now realize that I was a victim child labour in my youth but I will tell you more about that another time.

The family is extremely charismatic especially Amy (the mother) who is extremely eccentric and very charming towards all of her customers, which explains the huge lineups at Chicken for Lunch while all the other food establishments are virtually empty (thanks to Wayne for pointing that out). Kinman Quon is the experienced father who is resistant to change while his children, Miles, Mandy, and Marty are continually pushing for updates to the business. I enjoy most of the family except for Miles because I find him extremely annoying and I'm pretty sure I hear a hint of a mainlander accent every time he speaks. Actually, the whole family speaks with accents except for Marty, but then again I have many friends who speak like Fobs (Timothy). Anyways, this show presents the great dynamics of a family operated Chinese Restaurant and exploits horrible Asian stereotypes by forcing the family to wear gaudy Chinese costumes when filming commentary. It's also amusing how the restaurant forces waiters to wear a Changshan to create an authentic Chinese atmosphere but they serve Kung Pao chicken and the restaurant is completely devoid of Asian diners!! However, I still think this show is extremely entertaining so watch online episodes here. Oh how I love the Food Network...

Cool - Office Supples

I have compiled a list of my most desired office supplies, which combines my love for the Office (the series) and the Museum of Modern Art.

MUJI Aluminum Pencil Case

I think it's eventually time for me to replace my novelty dog/pig pencil cases with this simple MUJI case. It looks great with its clean lines and it also appears to be quite durable so it will survive being crushed in my backpack. Oh and the best part is that it's only $10! Definitely worth the money to store all my supplies for school and audits.


Jette Scheib Wooden Memo Board

I really regret buying my metal Ikea bulletin boards when I could have had this amazing memo board made of walnut. It looks great on the wall alone but it comes with hilarious looking twig magnets. All my post-it notes would look so much better against this board but I guess I could always save it when I acquire more wall space.


MUJI Tape Dispenser

MUJI manages to make a common household item into art. It's beautiful while still remaining functional, which of course is very appealing and all at the low cost of $2.


MUJI Aluminum Business Card Case

My KPMG card holder is getting quite full and this will be a perfect replacement. My student ambassador cards would look perfect in this streamline business card holder. Bonus is that it will match the pencil case above.


MUJI Compact Stapler

This stapler looks like it would compliment my MacBook very nicely but unfortunately it's compact and I don't think it will be able to staple any thick documents. However, I wouldn't have to borrow Elysse's stapler anymore and it's very affordable so I may reconsider.


MUJI Colored Pencil Set

Pencil crayons have never been my first choice as a medium for art but I like this set purely for its aesthetics. Something about the boldness of the colors against the utilitarian cardboard is very pleasing. I predict that it would sit on my desk untouched but I will certainly admire it as a piece of art.


MUJI Sketchbook

Being an accountant, the only time I really have to sketch is during boring lectures. I should really consolidate my sketches and doodles into a sketchbook but I think it will result in a book dedicated to offensive pictures of my friends and portraits of Irene Herremans with her various outfits. Seriously though, great looking sketchbooks


MUJI Pastel Blue Notebooks

I rarely use a notebooks since I favour binders for their efficiency to insert and remove paper but I will certainly make the switch for these notebooks. Covered in my favorite color and accented with white binding so it's literally perfect but I can only take so many notes about how much I loathe Noreen Irvine. Anyways, it's also environmentally friendly because it's produced from disposable materials and is packaged with minimum waste so I can rest assure that I'm being green.


MUJI Aluminum Mechanical Pencil

I've had my lucky blue pencil since my first year in University so it will be very difficult to part with it for this modern mechanical pencil. I love how it appears very sleek while being well designed with the inclusion of a cap to protect the lead tip. The only problem is that it's $14 which is somewhat overpriced for a pencil if you ask me.


Ippei Matsumoto 10-Key Calculator

Hands down, the most ingenious and beautiful calculator I have ever seen. During tax season, I've become extremely efficient on a number keypad but this calculator won't be very handy during exam situations where the thumb is used for punching numbers. It's also able to connect to laptops but it's not compatible to macs so if you have a PC, this might be the perfect calculator for you!


Mika H. J. Kim Dozi Paperclip Holder

A clever solution to storing all your paperclips and will allow easy access to your paperclips since it will be on display for all to see. I remember seeing this in a store in the +15 of either the TransCanada Building or Fifth Avenue Place so you can have your very own without paying shipping and customs. Be warned that if you leave this on your desk at work, I'm positive that it will be stolen.


James Burgess I Am Not A Paper Cup

I know this is not necessarily an office supply but it's a common feature on most people's desk. I'm not sure why I love porcelain cups that are designed to look like disposable paper cups but it will fit perfectly in my collection along with my New York Coffee Cup and Starbucks Cup. It's also constructed from double-walled porcelain with a pliable silicone so it won't burn your hand like my New York Coffee Cup.

* All of these products are available at the MoMA Store

http://www.momastore.org/