I thought this video was relevant to Winnipeg for a number of different reasons. First, we have some great designers (and champions of design) here that are looking to do some amazing things for both our city and the design disciplines studied here. Second, we have a lot of great capital projects that are either underway or about to be announced that will add excitement and life to our city. Coincidentally, many of them are museums of some sort or another. But the definition of museum is changing. They are no longer static exhibits that merely educate. They are interactive experiences that entertain as well. The success of these new institutions rely on the ability to draw back visitors several times a year. They need to educate, entertain, inspire and relate to their audience. We can no longer think of museums as places that preserve history. We need to think of them as places where we can celebrate history and anticipate the future.

I'll start off by saying that I'm as far from organized religion as you can get (I'm still spiritual). Almost everyone I know celebrates Christmas and it's pretty hard to avoid the commercialism in general, what with Scotiabank in Winnipeg Square putting it's tree up in September, for example. I truly want to believe that Christmas is a time to come together, to decorate with blinking lights, and Irish coffee season, but today's news out of America regarding Black Friday "Christmas" shopping is just ridiculous. Here's a small overview: someone pepper sprayed 20 other shoppers at Walmart in numerous departments, 2 people have been shot and 3 people have been robbed. This gives "Macy's" a whole new connotation. There's also been reports of crippled websites, with one person commenting on a forum "screw them. I'm not ordering jack if they can't get their system to work properly. Sent off a nasty email which I'm sure they'll ignore." EARTH TO AMERICA: I'm pretty sure you're doing this Christmas thing wrong. I'd be incredibly embarrassed about this international news, just as I was for Canada with the Vancouver riots. I'm well aware Christmas has nothing to do with it's roots anymore—that's not the point of this post. The point is that in an overly-communicated society, this behaviour becomes more common place and sets an example for younger people. Christmas now dominates 3 months of the year and cheap plastic crap will ALWAYS be available on store shelves. At the very least, could we try to be nicer to each other? It really doesn't take much, nowhere near as much as it does to premeditate a pepper-spray attack; it actually feels kind of good. Forgive me for skipping gifts this year. I'll be with my family, in my house-coat enjoying Irish coffee.

I'm sure everyone, or most of you have heard about the ridiculously expensive bar tab the Boston Bruins racked up after they won the Stanley Cup this year. But, if you didn't, well, here's a little infographic for you to help you get a better idea of just how $156,000 could be spent on drinks in a single night. All I'm saying is, I wish I was the server that night because, good god that tip would have been amazing. I also can't resist pointing out the very disappointing amount of Bud Lights drank that night. Bud light guys, really? Come on.

Folklorama? There's an app for that. So you're sitting at the Scotish pavilion at Folklorama eating your haggis and savouring your second three finger scotch and thinking to yourself, "Rrrright. I wish I could tell all ma frrrriends aboot the grrreet time ahm a havin'." when two things dawn on you. Number one, you can now rate your Folklorama experience with this nifty new iPhone app. And number two, you wonder why you're affecting a terrible Scottish accent (a la Mike Myers in So I Married and Axe Murderer) while you're neither Scottish or actually talking.

That's right. Now you too can think and speak in horribly put-on accents while rating your favourite pavilions on the brand new Folklorama app developed by the fine folks at Honest Agency. The app gives the user the ability to look up show times and descriptions, get directions to pavilions, view ratings from other people, as well as post experiences to Facebook. It's so good it makes me want to yell "OPA!" and smash a plate across my monitor.



 

It seems ironic that this past weekend I entered a conversation regarding the status of Zellers. In a roundabout conversation a group of us wondered aloud when Target would make their move on Canada. It seemed almost surprising that in 2011 the shopping giant had yet to knock on our door. Well, it seems as though a polite knock was too Canadian of an expectation. This morning our door was officially kicked in with the announcement that Target will begin their takeover in 2013, with the intent to phase Zellers out in the years that follow. For some reason I can't yet put my finger on, this news pulls at my heartstrings. Corporate takeovers are nothing new in this day and age, so I shouldn't be surprised. I can't place the blame on American culture, because Canadians share just as much guilt in the consumption department (located next to the pantyhose). They say tens of thousands of jobs are going to be created – so we should accept this and be thankful. No, I believe it's the realization that it's not really Zellers I will miss, but my youth. A rose-coloured time when Woolco, Kmart and Zellers were the players, before even bigger dollars started rolling in and we began losing our self-identity to our neighbours to the South. A time when mass consumerism had not yet fully arrived, and family shopping trips were a matter of necessity, not gluttony. Target, I offer you an icy Canadian welcome, because that is what is expected. Zellers, I bid thee farewell, you will always have a fond place in my heart.