Enjoying this album as well. I've been listening to a handful of albums of late, including the latest offerings from both Rihanna and Feist.

Good mixture of sounds here with Rihanna's project. Dance / pop / R&B fused with other genres, and plenty of replay value. I prefer it to her previous albums, Rated R and Loud, from 2009 & 2010 respectively.


http://www.metacritic.com/music/talk-that-talk/critic-reviews

http://www.spin.com/reviews/rihanna-talk-talk-def-jam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_That_Talk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg00YEETFzg

http://www.metacritic.com/person/rihanna

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20545856,00.html

http://www.metacritic.com/

WIKIPEDIA - "Talk That Talk  is the sixth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna and was released on November 18, 2011, through Def Jam Recordings. The lead single from the album, "We Found Love" featuring Calvin Harris, premiered on Capital FM radio on September 22, 2011, and was released on iTunes U.S. the same day. The album is rooted in R&B, dance-pop, and pop, but also incorporates a variety of genres such as hip hop, electro, trance, house, and dubstep.

Lyrically, the album speaks of love, sexuality, and in general has a higher sexual content than its precedessors. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, many of which complimented its departure from the dark themes presented on her fourth and fifth studio albums, Rated R (2009) and Loud (2010), respectively."

Rihanna

'Talk That Talk'

Pop's freaky alpha chick raves mightily, leaves dudes in dust

Spin Rating

8 of 10

With Aubrey "Drake" Graham ushering in a new era of complicated, emotion-drenched man-swag, it's only natural for Rihanna — the woman he claims once broke his heart — to emerge as his inverse, a tough-skinned, roost-ruling power lover. Stuffing her music with subversive sexuality and straight-up freakiness, she simultaneously puts up a wall, brassily challenges suitors to please her, and assumes they'll fail. On Talk That Talk's "Roc Me Out," she coyly dares a dude to sex her up, but then hits him with the punch line: "I'll let you in on a dirty secret / I just wanna be loved." From another artist, this might be a song about self-doubt. From Rihanna, it's like she's willfully withholding faith and throwing it back just to tantalize. The Jay-Z reference (and collabo!) does not go unnoticed.

The occasionally perfect pop on Talk That Talk softens the concept. Where last year's Loud had a hefty helping of unshakable singles, this album's arc, however simple — sex, love, sex, repeat — is cohesive and sweet. And for someone whose persona is so "bad-girl rock star," Rihanna sure loves techno music. Of all the dubstep-savvy starlets rolling out recently, she was the first by several years (2009's underrated Rated R), and this album doesn't skimp on 4 A.M. synths: "Where Have You Been" is tailor-made for a Coachella pool rave, while "Birthday Cake" and the Bangladesh-produced "Cockiness (Love It)" deliver elated, global-bass super-boom.

Even the requisite tinny StarGate ballad, a grandiose reinterpretation of the xx's "Intro," is doused with lusty passion, analogizing love to liquor. Still, it's alpha-chick sexual power that wins out; as she sings on the lush highlight "Watch and Learn": "If you learn how / I'll stay." It's Rihanna's game and there's very little chance you'll win — but she'd love it if you tried.

By Julianne Escobedo Shepherd

Very enjoyable album. Been listening to it in recent weeks, and I like what I hear (just like with her previous work). Easily one of Canada's best artists in recent years, and she won't disappoint her fans with this project here. Give it a listen, and check out Youtube and other sites for a listen. I'm sure you'll like what you hear too.

My fave songs on the CD =

- The Bad In Each Other
- How Come You Never Go There
- Bittersweet Melodies
- Anti Pioneer
- Woe Be
- Get It Wrong, Get It Right

Feist makes good ♫ ... that's just what she does.

http://www.metacritic.com/music/metals/critic-reviews

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metals_%28album%29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2uVRMBD5RY

http://onethirtybpm.com/reviews/album-review-feist-metals/

http://www.metacritic.com/person/feist

http://www.metacritic.com/music/metals

http://www.metacritic.com/





One Thirty BMP - Brendan Frank -  "

I don’t recall any ad making a song famous as quickly as that iPod commercial did “1234.” It only took 30 seconds for Leslie Feist’s old teenage hopes to resonate with everyone who saw her dancing in that tiny 2-inch screen. Since she broke through with 2007’s still-stunning The Reminder, she’s kept a relatively low profile, performing intermittently and collaborating with artists like Wilco and Grizzly Bear (and don’t forget the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo on Broken Social Scene’s last record). She has also presumably been contemplating how to follow up what may end up being her magnum opus. That it took so long to come to fruition is something of a relief; there’s nothing overly ambitious about Metals, nor is there any visible desire to cash in or grow her audience. It’s just another thoughtful, satisfying take on folksy pop (or poppy folk).

So how do you follow up such an unexpectedly successful record? If you’re Feist, you take a step back. Metals is a largely unplugged affair, the spaces that open up amongst the music are teeming with warmth. There’s a moment on “The Circle That Married The Line” where Feist concedes: “It’s as much what it is as what it is not,” which holds true for the entire album. The sparse, earthy tones stand on very different terrain than The Reminder’s smooth balladry. It’s too easy to point out the differences; they’re obvious upon a cursory listen. The thrills are understated, but what’s so wonderful is how they strike a lot of the same chords as her past work yet still manage to sound distinct.

The constant is her voice; watery, elegant, alternatingly frail and powerful, magnetic, and immediately distinctive. She offers up some of her most beautiful performances yet. When the lonely melodic ruminations of “Get It Wrong, Get It Right” fully sink in at the chorus, they pack twice the emotional wallop. Then there’s the nostalgic “Bittersweet Melodies,” a gently emotive lullaby with soft-focus imagery: “Whispers in the grass / Under slow dancing trees / Birds are telling me stories / Saying you were meant for me.”

If her music has grown a little more precious in places, there’s also a distinct shift in how Feist is choosing to rock out. Album opener “The Bad in Each Other” is a peppy folk rock tune with a Fleetwood Mac-ian riff, woodcut drums and a brass section that slows, swells and builds into something colossal. Eerie, skittering strings and chanting male voices set the scene for a fight between two undisclosed parties on “A Commotion.” The more rollicking tunes are less free-flowing and carry more of an edge to them, but Feist’s personality and charm are smudged all over the place.

The emotional breadth of Metals may be its most impressive characteristic. Conveying feelings that are so varied, but still manage to ring true every time is something few of her contemporaries can accomplish. From the euphoric, resuscitative chants of “Graveyard,” to the melodic sighs of “How Come You Never Go There,” every song channels something different. Some do it better than others, but they all do it well. There are no real weak spots, just slow spots, and lots of high points that will have you skipping back to listen again. After the watershed year that was 2007, we couldn’t have asked for much more from this release. More importantly, we should be enormously grateful that Feist took her time. It’s a lovely, weightless set of songs from an artist whom we can now reasonably assume is capable of producing consistently great music."

My dad has been using this product in recent months and has found it effective. He aggravated arthritic pain in one of his knees when we were on a bike ride, and Voltaren emulgel has helped lessen the pain he has endured since. He has visited his doctor for a 2nd opinion, and has done his best to limit the time spent since that may re-aggravate the region. He gave me a sample of the product as well in case I ever wanted to try it in the future if I ever needed to use it for any type of specified pain relief.

Voltaren emulgel

#1-selling topical pain reliever worldwide. Clinically proven medicinal gel for the relief of muscle, joint and back pain.

Diclofenac diethylamine gel 1.16%

http://www.mybodypain.ca/index.html

http://www.voltarengel.com/consumer/default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diclofenac

http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/drug_info_details.asp?brand_name_id=240

http://bodyandhealth.canada.com

WIKIPEDIA  - "Diclofenac (marketed under many brand names, see below: Trade names) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) taken to reduce inflammation and as an analgesic reducing pain in certain conditions.

The name is derived from its chemical name: 2-(2,6-dichloranilino) phenylacetic acid.

In the United Kingdom, India, Brazil and the United States, it may be supplied as either the sodium or potassium salt, in China most often as the sodium salt, while in some other countries only as the potassium salt. Diclofenac is available as a generic drug in a number of formulations. Over-the-counter (OTC) use is approved in some countries for minor aches and pains and fever associated with common infections.

Diclofenac is used to treat pain, inflammatory disorders, and dysmenorrhea.^[1]

Inflammatory disorder may include musculoskeletal complaints, especially arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, osteoarthritis, dental pain, TMJ, spondylarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout attacks,^[2] and pain management in cases of kidney stones and gallstones. An additional indication is the treatment of acute migraines.^[3] Diclofenac is used commonly to treat mild to moderate post-operative or post-traumatic pain, in particular when inflammation is also present,^[2] and is effective against menstrual pain and endometriosis."

Fun, helpful, and informative. I enjoy these podcasts from the Quick And Dirty Tips platform, and enjoy the programs from The House Call Doctor, and The Get-Fit-Guy respectively. For the most part these podcasts range from 6 - 15 minutes on average, and are a good listen as they're from trustworthy sources.

 

You can stream or download their programming from the official website or Itunes program, as listed below with the links I've provided.

 

The House Call Doctor's Quick and Dirty Tips for Taking Charge of Your Health

 

 

 

http://housecalldoctor.quickanddirtytips.com/

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-house-call-doctors-quick/

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-house-call-doctors-quick/id323339880

http://housecalldoctor.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-treat-colds.aspx

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/xml/housecall.xml

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Attended the movie screening last Saturday morning. Good mixture of people in attendance as it was an all-ages crowd of people ranging in age from about 4 - 70yo. I wasn't quite sure how familiar many of the kids were with the Muppet franchise, but it was fun seeing the reactions and response from everyone from young adulthood onward as many of us grew up with said entertainment in decades past. The movie has a good message, and a nice amount of humour, and the recognizable characters such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and others. The film stars Jason Segel and Amy Adams. It's a musical comedy that most people will enjoy.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1204342/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4YhbpuGdwQ

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/reviews/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muppets_(film)#Plot

http://exclaim.ca/News/muppets_hugo_arthur_christmas_take_us_into_this_weeks_film_roundup

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CanadaAMColumns/20111124/richard-crouse-movie-reviews-111125/

http://disney.go.com/muppets/

 

Wikipedia - "The Muppets is a 2011 American musical and comedy film, and the first Muppets theatrical release in 12 years,^[6] as well as the first Disney-produced Muppets film since 1996's Muppet Treasure Island. In the film, Walter (performed by Peter Linz), the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and friend Mary (Amy Adams) must raise $10 million to save the Muppet Theater from Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), a businessman who plans to demolish the Muppet Theater to drill for oil. The film is directed by James Bobin, written by Segel and Nicholas Stoller, produced by Martin Baker, David Furnish, Segel, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, and John Scotti, and features Bret McKenzie as the music supervisor.

 

The film is being distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and was released in North America on November 23, 2011 and is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2012. The film was first announced in March 2008 and production started in September 2010. The film premiered at the 2011 Savannah Film Festival.

The film features six new musical numbers and three classic Muppet songs which are "The Muppet Show Theme", "Rainbow Connection" and "Mah Nà Mah Nà."

 

 

Good little theatre-based magazine. Picked up a copy on Wednesday evening (featuring John Goodman in 'The Artist' on the cover) and wasn't familiar with the product as it must be one more geared towards smaller venues, as well as festivals such as the VIFF (Vancouver International Film Festival). It's got the look and feel of the types of magazines available via Cineplex / Famous Players over the years, and features movie write-ups and overviews, and not so much articles and blockbuster-themed features.

 

http://cityreelsmagazine.com/films/

 

http://cityreelsmagazine.com/theatres/

 

http://cityreelsmagazine.com

 

 

Attended the screening on Wednesday, November 23rd. Enjoyed the film, and judging from the response(s) of those in attendance they did as well. Good to see a full turnout as well, as screening events definitely tend to vary amongst locations, genres, and so on.

 

The film stars George Clooney playing the role of Matt King, the father of two daughters (ages 10 and 17yo) in Hawaii. They are collectively coming to terms with the boating accident which has rendered their wife (and mom) in a comatosed state in hospital due to the head injuries she has sustained.

 

The film does a good job balancing grief and the family dynamic. A husband and wife who have drifted apart over time, and a dad who is doing his best to regain a closeness with his girls given the grief they are all enduring. Kudos to director Alexander Payne. Many Savelanders may recognize the name from recent years, and his Academy Award-nominated film, Sideways.

 

We'd recommend the movie and give it a 7/10, and it's good to see the film has been receiving positive reviews of late.

 

See the links for MetaCritic and RottenTomatoes to review aggregate reviews and scoring from a wide-variety of reviewers and critics. Thanks.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Descendants_(film)#Cast

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHNXJ1K4yA

 

http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-descendants

 

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_descendants_2011/

 

http://www.toromagazine.com/culture/film/7df9e2c6-2bb2-60e4-25db-43642f423e23/The-Descendants/index.html

 

WIKIPEDIA - "The Descendants is a 2011 comedy-drama^[3] film based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The film stars George Clooney, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard and Shailene Woodley and it was released in the United States on November 18, 2011.^[2] It is directed by Alexander Payne,^[1] with a screenplay by Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.^[1] The film screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.^[3]

 

Matt King, the trustee of his family's ancestral land in Hawaii, tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a serious boating accident^[4] and falls into a coma.^[3] Under pressure from different factions to sell the land, he belatedly learns a disturbing secret about his wife.^[3]"

 

I was able to catch the matinee of J. Edgar this past Monday afternoon with my aunt, per her suggestion. We both quite enjoyed the film. Interesting look at the life of J. Edgar Hoover and his involvement with the FBI, and a good group effort offering by Clint Eastwood and main cast members Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, and Armie Hammer.

 

Being born in 1979, I wasn't much familiar with the life of Hoover, so I read up a bit on his history before seeing the film. As for DiCaprio and Watts ... both are always quite consistent with their performances, and they didn't dissapoint here. Easily 2 of the best 30-something actors in the business. Kudos to Eastwood as well for all his work in the business. Talk about talent, huh? I truly hope I'm as productive as he is 50 years from now. Impressive, Clint.

 

The movie does run long at just under 2 hours, 15 minutes but on the whole I'd give it a thumbs up. I couldn't really think of much critical to say, and noted to my aunt that what I respect most about DiCaprio is that he's an actor's actor. He picks challenging roles, is convincing in them, and he's believable.

 

Straight - "The first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) was the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years. His position gave him enormous power, causing him to become both feared and admired, reviled and revered. Power, however, often goes hand-in-hand with corruption, and behind closed doors, Hoover held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life."

 

http://www.tribute.ca/reviews/j-edgar/27826/

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1616195/

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar

 

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/j_edgar/

 

http://jedgarmovie.warnerbros.com/index.html

 

 

 

 

Excellent poster being circulated in the community this week. We received a couple of them  in the mail today (Wed' - Nov. 16th, 2011) and it's good to see The Integrated Riot Investigation Team continuing on with their work in regards to the terrible events of June 15th, 2011 (almost 17 years to the day of the events of June 14th, 1994).

 

See the links I've provided for more information. The poster that arrived by mail is some  12" by 25" in size (just gave it a quick measurement with a ruler) and features good, clear images of many of the participants of the looting, rioting, and vandalism here in Vancouver back in mid-June of this year.

 

http://vancouver.ca//police/assets/pdf/media/2011/VPD_RiotRoundup-sm.pdf

 

https://vancouver.ca/police/riot2011/

 

http://www.globaltvbc.com/vpd+riot+poster+hopes+to+identify+104+suspects/6442523264/story.html

 

http://vancouver.ca/

 

 

 

 

Won free tickets to the 3D screening last Thursday evening.

Crowd arrived early and the place was packed. 500 seat theatre or so ... everyone in for a pure popcorn flick. Questionable dialogue ... plenty of C.G.I. and green screen effects and imagery ... choreographed fight sequences ... plenty of blood and gore ... plenty of hard-to-remember names ... mixed reactions from the crowd (and some chuckles at the lame dialogue) ... Mickey Rourke playing the villain (surprise, surprise) ... Henry Cavill (the next Superman) in the lead role ... Freida Pinto (of Slumdog Millionaire fame) as one of the Oracles, etc.

If you're not squeamish and have 2 hours to kill ... enjoy. It sure isn't for everyone ... but the price was right. It won the weekend box office with just over $68 million. All I remember were the names Theseus, Zeus, the Oracles, Minotaur ... The Gods ... a butt double for Freida Pinto ... Mickey Rourke cashing his paycheque ... Stephen Dorff ... that dude Kellen Lutz (from the Twilight series) ... good usage of Real D 3D ... and the couple next to me whisper-talking too much.

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/11/12/immortals-review-revue/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-immortals-jack-jill-j-edgar-260944

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortals_%282011_film%29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAlrcG5-QcE

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/immortals_2011/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/nov/13/immortals-3d-review-mickey-rourke

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1253864/

Immortals is a 2011 3D action fantasy adventure film directed by Tarsem Singh and starring Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto, and Mickey Rourke.^[2] The film also stars Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, Joseph Morgan, Stephen Dorff, Alan Van Sprang, Isabel Lucas, and John Hurt. The film was previously named Dawn of War and War of the Gods before being officially named Immortals, and is loosely based on the Greek myths of Theseus and the Minotaur and the Titanomachy.

It was released in 2D and in 3-D (using the Real D 3D and Digital 3D formats) on November 11, 2011 by Universal Pictures and Relativity Media.^[3]

Read some of the reviews.

• “It’s not just that this is visually blah (though it is), it’s also as inherently artificial and airless as any studio movie of the 1930s or 40s. When Singh’s camera catches a sun-flare at morning or dusk, it’s supposed to imbue the shot with a sense of reality. But because that sunbeam is patently just another digital effect, it actually accomplishes the opposite.” [Tom Charity, CNN]

• “Director Tarsem Singh’s visual instincts overwhelm his storytelling finesse. With its images modeled on Renaissance paintings, “Immortals” looks shadowy and solemn, but its script is sometimes garbled and frequently silly.” [Mark Jenkins, Washington Post]

• “Violence, check; sex, check. What else? An intoxicating visualization of mythical Greece.” [Richard Corliss, Time]

• “In the end, there’s little here beyond the graphic violence, avant-garde costumes and occasional otherworldly visuals…It’s a movie about myth with no sense of magic.” [Stephen Whitty, The Star-Ledger]

Definitely not a fan of how the lasagna has bounced around in price over the years. Anywhere from $9.99 / 10.00 / 12.99 / 13.99 / 14.99 ...  they've been holding steady at $14.99 in recent months at Superstore (West) and it was nice to see them at $9.99 as of this Friday's current flyer week. Bought 2 of them when I was shopping. Good to have on hand ... consistently good. Plenty of cheese / noodles / broccoli / cauliflower, etc.

I've been buying them for about 3.5 - 4 years or so. Always enjoy them as I find 'em filling ... cheesy and crispy and also good to have on-hand for leftovers as well.

They aren't easy on the sodium and fat counts though ... so not exactly waistline-friendly, but they'll put a smile on your face nonetheless. Happy customer here since 2007 or so.

Funnily enough ... the picture on the packaging doesn't really do it justice. The food looks and tastes better than how it's presented in the picture. It's got more of a crispy orange/brown look after 2 hours of baking.

http://reviews.presidentschoice.ca/6584/F15888/reviews.htm?page=3

http://www.presidentschoice.ca/LCLOnline/products.jsp?type=details&productId=15888

Lasagna noodles (durum wheat semolina, water, dried whole egg), water, seven cheeses [white and yellow cheddar, part skim mozzarella, ricotta, asiago, swiss, romano and parmesan (whole and partially skimmed milk, bacterial culture, salt, microbial enzymes, rennet and/or pepsin, whey, white vinegar, colour)], seven vegetables (broccoli, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, corn, onions, spinach), cream, palm oil margarine, bread crumbs (contain soybean oil), modified corn starch, skim milk powder, cheddar cheese base [cheddar and blue cheese (whole milk, bacterial culture, salt, microbial enzymes), water, sodium phosphate, white vinegar, salt], lactic acid, flour, sugar, salt, spice, garlic powder, onion powder.

Nutritional Information

per serving (283 g)

%DVPV%PDVCarbohydrate  37 g12


Sugars  5 g



Calories  430 Cal



Protein  22 g



Fat  22 g34


Saturates  12 g



Cholesterol  50 mg



Fibre  4 g16


Sodium  570 mg24


Vitamin A   35


Vitamin C   15


Calcium   40


Iron   10


Trans  1 g



Saturates + Trans  13 g65


Key%DV= % Daily ValuePV= Prepared Value%PDV= % Prepared Daily Value

 

The awards show aired last Sunday, and I recorded it off Muchmusic and watched it the other night and enjoyed it. I like the format of some of the music awards shows as they're manageable and hold your interest in the 2-hour format and there's plenty of live performances. Very quick to get through once you factor in fast-forwarding / skipping  over the commercial breaks as well. The big names did well, as expected. The awards show took place in Belfast, and Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber were amongst the big winners on the night. The two of them being the 2 most followed pop stars internationally in recent years with their 20 + million Twitter followers collectively and huge radio and video rotational presence, etc.

The show has taken place in Berlin, Liverpool, Madrid and other regions over the years.

Bieber's girlfriend, Selena Gomez, hosted the event. She also hosted the Muchmusic Video Awards (MMVAs) back in June 2011  in Toronto.

Muchmusic and MTV are always quite good about re-airing their events a number of times, so if you're interested you'll probably be able to catch a repeat of the event in the coming days or weeks.

http://uk.mtvema.com/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2011/11/07/mtv-awards-gaga-bieber.html

http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/11/07/justin-bieber-lady-gaga-mtv-europe-awards/

One of my favourite singles in recent months. The song has been getting plenty of play on hit radio stations, and has been a hit for Rihanna and collaborator Calvin Harris. Mixed emotions with the music video though as the song is overly sexual (as is often the case with much of pop / R&B music from many of today's biggest stars) ... the song sort of has a trippy/drug-fueled vibe, plus Rihanna's male lead looks very much like her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown (who assaulted her in early-2009). Same can be seen as questionable given her huge international fanbase, and large number of young female fans.

That said ... the song is extremely catchy (especially as it builds up to the hook) from the 01:16 mark onward.

♫

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg00YEETFzg&ob=av3e

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Found_Love








Wikipedia - "Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( /riˈɑːnə/ ree-ah-nə or /riˈænə/ ree-an-ə; born February 20, 1988), better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist.^[1] Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for then-label head Jay-Z.^[2]

"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her sixth studio album Talk That Talk (2011). The song features Scottish singer-songwriter Calvin Harris. "We Found Love" was released as the lead single from the album and premiered on September 22, 2011, in the United Kingdom on the Capital FM radio station and was made available to download on the same day. The song has met with mixed reviews from music critics, who praised the song's composition and Rihanna's vocal performance, however, some critics felt that the lyrical content was sparse and came second to Harris' production.

"We Found Love" debuted at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and reached number one in its sixth week on the chart, giving Rihanna the record for a solo artist to have amassed twenty top-ten singles in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 in the shortest amount of time and Harris his first number-one single. With the song becoming the singer's eleventh number one single, Rihanna has become only the seventh artist in the 53 year history of the chart to amass at least eleven number one singles, as well as tying her with Whitney Houston in third place for females with the most number one singles, behind only Madonna (12) and Mariah Carey (18). The song has also peaked at 1 and 7 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs and Pop Songs charts, respectively. Elsewhere, "We Found Love" peaked at number one in New Zealand, Denmark, France, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and has attained top-five positions in Australia, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and South Korea.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas and presents Rihanna's relationship with her boyfriend as being like a drug and how their addiction to each other results in the singer leaving her boyfriend because of his possessive nature. The video received a mixed response from critics, and they noted that the video strongly alludes to ex-boyfriend Chris Brown's assault on Rihanna."

Really enjoyed this movie. It opened in Canada this week, and in the latter part of October in the States. It has a small budget, opened in limited release, and relies on story over any type of flash, and features a very solid cast. It's hard to go wrong with the likes of Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Zachary Pinto, and Penn Badgley.

 

The story revolves around the financial collapse in 2007, and is based in New York. The crowd at the screening enjoyed the film. My dad and I each gave the film plenty of credit for holding our interest, being an actors' film, and overall we gave it strong 7 and 8/10 ratings and would recommend it for people who like such dramatic fare.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615147/

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margin_Call

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DqFRsPrns

 

http://margincallmovie.com/

 

 

Wikipedia - "Margin Call is a 2011 American independent drama film, written and directed by J.C. Chandor, and starring Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, and Penn Badgley. The film takes place over a 24-hour period at a large investment bank (loosely modeled on Lehman Brothers ^[4][5]) and focuses on the financial crisis of 2007–2008.^[6][7] The film follows the actions taken by a group of employees during the financial collapse.^[8]

The film was first shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011 and opened on October 21, 2011 in the United States."

Very good website and index of forums. Good for both newbies and advanced knowledge individuals when it comes to the field of technology and products / services, etc. Very helpful as it's Canadian-based, so you'll see alot of recognizable articles and trends which pertain to the many provinces and regions we all hail from. Also, many of the latest news and tidbits from the various service providers and companies such as Telus, Bell, Rogers, Fido, Shaw, and so on. Take a look-see at the links listed below, if interested.

 

 

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/

 

http://www.digitalhome.ca/category/articles/

 

http://www.digitalhome.ca

 

 

 

 

Big fan of this network. I came across their podcast offerings on Itunes in the summer of 2011. They feature podcasts and programming recaps for many of today's popular television series, etc. I like tuning in fo a handful of the shows, and have them subscribed on my Itunes program for regular update purposes. Always an interesting listen with their panel(s) recapping shows that I enjoy tuning into, and especially for the series Breaking Bad (one of my personal faves) as I actively tune into about 3 - 4 offerings (from various websites) for the series and their discussion of same. Very interesting hearing other peoples' feedback on shows, and also some insider tibits and info (and occasional cast interviews as well). They currently have about 40 + programs/series listed in their Featured Shows offerings. You can also catch their video offerings on Youtube, Ustream, etc.

 

 

http://afterbuzztv.com/shows-about

 

http://www.afterbuzztv.com/

 

http://www.ustream.tv/afterbuzztv

 

http://twitter.com/#!/afterbuzztv

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/AfterBuzz

 

http://www.facebook.com/AfterBuzzTV

 

http://www.ustream.tv/

 

 

 

 

Big fan of this network. I've experienced it in the past year, and I like the fact that it's available in HD format, the programming is fast-paced and interesting, and there is very minimal commercial breaks (and even when they do - they are very, very brief in nature). Better yet ... the shows sometimes seem to end a few minutes early (and then the ads come in before the next show starts). Plus ... the advertising relates to their own shows and programming (which actually makes it feel relevant and of interest to viewers). The network launched in the States 10 years ago (as of September 2001).

 

"HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television. The channel currently shows a wide variety of HD programming, using the 1080i video standard, without focusing on any specific genre."

 

Some of my fave series on the network =

 

- Art Mann Presents

- Ultimate Trailer Show

- Inside MMA

- Sunday Viewer Request Concert Series

- plus older movies they feature from time to time

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDNet

 

http://www.hdnet.ca/

 

http://www.digitalhome.ca/2010/10/bell-satellite-tv-drops-hdnet/

 

http://www.digitalhome.ca/

 

http://www.hd.net/programming/

 

http://www.hd.net

 

 

 

Very popular restaurant located on W. 4th Avenue in Vancouver, B.C.

They've been around for a number of years, and offer good food at a reasonable price, and are easily accessible as they're in a happening part of town, with many available routes in the region via foot / car / transit. There's a casual atmosphere inside, and the food is rather consistent. I've eaten there about 5 - 6 times in the past 15 years or so. I'd recommend them to any local or visitor from out of town.

Check out some of the links I've provided, if interested, for some of their menu items and general reviews from others.

http://www.lasmargaritas.com/menus.php

http://www.lasmargaritas.com/

http://dinehere.ca/vancouver/las-margaritas

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/181069/restaurant/Kitsilano/Las-Margaritas-Mexican-Vancouver

http://dinehere.ca/



      

Happened across this index on Youtube after noticing a music video I was watching was listed as being #36 on the Youtube 100 list.

Pretty cool link here ... it gives you a mixture of indexed hot videos on the Youtube site itself, from Most Viewed / Most Liked / Top Favorited / Most Viewed HD / Most Discussed / etc. Pretty cool index overall to keep up with what's hot / current with both pop culture and regular music videos, as well as viral videos in general.

Worth a look for those who like the site. Adele, LMFAO, Beyonce, Pitbull, Rihanna and others are currently performing quite well with pageviews.

http://www.youtube.com/charts/videos_views/music

http://www.youtube.com/

Kevin's a funny actor and comedian. He's been making a name for himself, and has risen in popularity in recent years with more film roles and tv appearances. This film (in stand-up documentary format) was filmed earlier in the year at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, and released to the big screen in limited release in September 2011. Plenty of funny stuff in the film with him poking fun at himself, some members in his family, and the many missteps his dad took back in the day when he was growing up. Comedy for a mature audience who don't mind R-rated language, and the crowd enjoyed themselves. I watched the film last week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcdUROdMC0Y&feature=relmfu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_at_My_Pain

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1999192/




Wikipedia - "Laugh at My Pain is a 2011 stand-up comedy documentary film of comedian Kevin Hart. It opened in a limited release at AMC Theaters on September 9th. It includes Kevin Hart reprising his comedic self in a new barrage of jokes. Kevin Hart performed a stand-up special at the Nokia Theater at L.A. live  in Los Angeles. Kevin Hart (born July 3, 1978) is an American actor and stand-up comedian.

Hart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his single mother (his father was an addict).^[1] Hart is a graduate of George Washington High School in Philadelphia, and attended Community College of New York. Hart worked as a shoe salesman and won many stand-up competitions before becoming a comedian and actor in films including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Paper Soldiers, Along Came Polly, Death at a Funeral, Little Fockers, Not Easily Broken, and One Day in Jersey, Fool's Gold as Big Bunny D."