SQUEE! Dark Crystal Sequel

Tartakovsky Directing Dark Crystal Sequel - ComingSoon.net

I have five words for everyone involved:

This had better not suck.

Tags: film movie sequels, coming soon

Are we driving tourists away?

Living in Victoria, there's always heaps of media coverage when a new study shows toursim is dropping. It's one of our biggest industries; tourism brought in $5 billion in 2001, second only to forestry at $8.2 billion. [For more stats see Value of Tourism (pdf).] However, since 2001, the numbers of American tourists -- about 1 in 4 visitors were American in 2001 -- have been dropping slowly but steadily.

The most recent complaint? We're boring. Canada known only for moose, mountains, Mounties, tourism officials complain [MSN]. Apparently, US travellers are looking for "sun and fun" -- maybe because they rhyme -- in markets such as Mexico.

Fingers are also pointing at a stronger Canadian dollar and of course border-crossing has become more difficult, though I'd argue that's America's own doing.

Then there's this tidbit: according to Michele McKenzie, president of the Canadian Tourism Commission, "It is becoming apparent that many neighbouring Americans are not sure Canadians still like them."

Really? So we're not only boring, but apparently we slung some mud their way? Hmm.

There will be a full report out at the end of the month; I may post a follow-up.


TAGS: tourism, Canada-US relations

Live Steam Gone Wild.

I grew up around "Live Steam" -- scale model locomotives which were run just like the "real thing" generally using coal-fired steam power. If you are ever in the Victoria area, I highly recommend checking out the Vancouver Island Model Engineers [2006 schedule] who have a large (and growning) track out at the Saanich Historical Artifacts Society Site in Saanich.

I-Wei Huang is an artist as well as a steam enthusiast who has created the wonderful/whimsical crabfu steam toys (think of the giant steam spider from The Wild Wild West (oh, sorry, you missed that film?)). They really crawl, roll, and move.


TAGS: live steam, 3D art

iiiiiiit's......

...GROUNDHOG DAY!!

(Music: "I got You Babe" fades)
BDM : OK Campers. Rise and Shine and don't forget your Booties 'Cause It's Cold Out
HR : Cold Out? What is this? Miami?
BDM : Not Hardly. And you know you can expect hazardous travel later in the day from that blizzard.
HR : Blizzard thing. Blizzard thing. Oh, here's the report from the national weather is calling for a big blizzard thing.
BDM : It'll be especially cold. There's another reason why today is especial --
HR : Especially Cold?
BDM : Especially cold, right. The big question on everyone's lips--
HR : Chapped lips
BDM : Chapped lips. Do you Phil think will come out see his shadow?
HR : Puxatawny Phil.
BDM : That's right woodchuck chuckers!
Both: It's Groundhog Day!

(actually it's about 9°C around here... and we'll be watching Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell over dinner this evening.)

Here's a bit of history of Groundhog Day including a list going back to 1887 of Punxsutawney Pete's predictions.

**A big thanks to hubby who transcribed the radio announcers (voiced by Brian Doyle Murray and Harold Ramis) from the movie.

Grizzly Bears and Groovy Goods

Those of you with Discovery Channel (US and Canada) might want to plan on curling up with the award-winning documentary Grizzly Man this friday (it runs at 8 pm ET in most markets). It wasn't nominated for an Academy Award, but it has certainly stirred up controversy. Discovery is airing it along with a 30 minute documentary about the documentary. No, I'm not actually kidding.

From one glowing screen to another, I have really been enjoying HippyShopper -- a compendium of fair-trade, ethical, recycled and otherwise eco-friendly goods, based in the UK. I was especially taken by the Mothercare Eco Crib (more a cradle really) made of heavy duty cardboard that slots together and can be stored flat and recycled when you're done with it. I was also quite attracted to the furniture and accessories by Scrapile -- made from offcuts discarded by other woodworking shops.



TAGS: documentary film, television, eco-friendly, recycled