17 Tuesday Jul 2012
Well it’s too bad I only made it down to the Stampede grounds on its last day, otherwise I might have been acquainted with this culinary discovery a little earlier. It’s a pulled pork poutine, sold by the folks from Calgary’s Big-T’s BBQ. Apart from the usual fries and cheese curds, it’s topped off with their delicious pulled pork and barbecue sauce. A beef variant was also on the menu. Definitely worth a try at the next Stampede …
13 Friday Jul 2012
24 Sunday Jun 2012
Posted in Canada, fun, Halifax, photography, photowalking, random, urban
20 Wednesday Jun 2012
Posted in Canada, fun, technology, Toronto, Travel
This is why Windows continues to be the butt of jokes. Found this as I was travelling last week, with a layover at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.
30 Wednesday May 2012
Posted in Alberta, art, Calgary, Canada, fun, photography, photowalking, random, urban
26 Saturday May 2012
Tags
This sign gave me a double-take. I spent far too much time contemplating what the message meant and what its implications were.
08 Tuesday May 2012
After dragging my old 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System console across the country from my parents’ home, the quest was on for some games to play.
I easily found the original Super Mario Bros. It provided hours of entertainment — and it still does.
Dragon Warrior seemed like the next best step. It was one of my favourite games when I was a kid. I never owned my own copy and ended up borrowing it on repeated long-term loans from a cousin.
Finding it was a chore at first, because I couldn’t remember the name of the game. Helpful classic video game vendors helped to prod my memory and I eventually put my hands on a copy.
It’s as fun as I remember it, “walking” around this imaginary universe and whacking various fantasy enemies, getting rich to buy new weapons and armour and gaining experience to last longer in fights.
And to think the cartridge still works … now that’s just simply amazing.
02 Wednesday May 2012
Tags
alberta, calgary, canada, comics, convention, expo, sci-fi, science fiction
The Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo revealed details today about how to get a refund, for those who were unable to attend the convention due to crowd control issues on Saturday.
The Expo’s website, calgaryexpo.com, contains links and info to refund passes and missed photo-ops. Of particular interest, there is info for those who purchased passes from local stores.
Part of a new statement on the site reads:
It wasn’t without its hiccups, and as an organization we are dedicated to improving the experience of all those involved with our show. The Calgary Expo will be working with the Calgary Stampede and the Fire Department to create strategies to better manage crowds and line controls for our 2013 event.
It’s good to hear they are trying to stay on the good side of conventioneers.
(The photo at the top is of an ornament, hanging from the handle of a sword that was on display at Calgary Expo this past weekend.)
30 Monday Apr 2012
Tags
alberta, calgary, CalgaryComicExpo, canada, convention, sci-fi, science fiction, Star Trek, Star Wars
I should have pointed out in my earlier post that I’ve put up a couple dozen photos from the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo this weekend. They’re currently at the top of my Flickr stream.
Thanks everyone for stopping by and for following my tweets!
30 Monday Apr 2012
Tags
alberta, calgary, canada, comic expo, convention, entertainment, expo, sci-fi, science fiction, Star Trek
Another Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo has wrapped up, so scenes like the one above should be less prevalent Monday than it was over the weekend.
Expo organizers learned from their crowd-control tribulations on Saturday. Sure, people were in lines everywhere, but the process was generally efficient and steady. From personal experience and one other account, a person’s turn in line never lasted more than about 30 minutes — and happily all pass holders were allowed admission Sunday.
Those wishing to buy tickets at the door might have been disappointed, as those sales were halted mid-morning.
Let’s face it: Calgary Expo has become a big event. Attendance figures for the whole weekend are expected to pass 50,000, according to news reports. No one should expect to just walk in without a little bit of waiting.
If nothing else, Calgary Expo 2012 provided the ultimate learning experience for the people in charge, who told media they will soon be looking for even better ways to accommodate the crowds next year.
Despite that piece of sobering news, there are still many reasons to have fond memories of Expo.
Meeting the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation tops my list and is sure to top that of many others.
Being able to see all the hard work people put into their costumes was a real treat, too.
If I was a bigger comic book/action hero nerd, I’d have flipped out even more.
So to the staff and volunteers of the Calgary Expo, thanks for the (mainly) good times over the past three days.
I wish you a bigger and better show for 2013.
Sir Patrick Stewart with host Cynthia Loyst at the Corral Sunday afternoon:
Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn joke around for the crowd:
Ricky Leong 