Sundance Spy

turns out we had a man at Sundance. Executive producer Glen Tilley went to the film festival on vacation. So we asked him for his impressions.

Adventures in News Releases

The title on this release from the RCMP is:

"And the impaired keep coming!

The RCMP in Placentia/ Whitbourne are investigating another single vehicle motor vehicle collision which police believe alcohol was a factor. This collision occurred in Dunville, NL. this morning.  The vehicle was traveling south on Route 100 when it left the road.  The driver was not injured however the vehicle was destroyed in the collision. Charges are to be laid against a 20 year St.John's male for operating a motor vehicle over .o8 blood alcohol.  
 
Two days ago on the 27th of January, 2010 the RCMP Placentia/Whitbourne investigated another incident of impaired driving.  As a result of a traffic stop a 26 year old Placentia male was issued a 24 hour driving suspension. This person had blood alcohol analyzed by police. It was not at the limit were charges occur but high enough for suspension.
 
These two incidents fall a few days after a weekend of 6 reports of impaired drivers resulting in 4 persons being charged and/or suspended from driving. The results of the RCMP's work show their check point traffic program in this district for impaired driving offenses is working."

Jersey Day

Some companies have casual Fridays. The dress code at CBC can be interpreted as 'casual all week long,'  but today employees are encouraged to wear their favourite hockey jerseys because Saturday is Hockey Day in Canada.

Keith Whelan and Ryan Snoddon, who is wearing his hockey sweater from Bosnia.

and diehard fans Jay Callanan, Jacinta Wall and Rod Dobbin.

seen doesn't have a sweater, but briefly considered stealing the youngster's St. John's Fog Devils, which is probably a rare collectors item.

January Rain

The Parkway Cam at was pressed into service again at 3:19 to honour the rare occasion of rain in January.

From its illustrious perch, you can see the CBC employees' swimming pool :), and those poor drenched flags.

seen goes ufoing

one of cbc.ca/nl's most popular stories this week has been the sighting of a UFO off the south coast and the subsequent fallout.

Wednesday's story was how Canadian officials knew what people in Harbour Mille were seeing, but they couldn't say what it was. The RCMP said call DND, DND said call the RCMP, DND said call the Public Safety department, and Public safety said called the RCMP and so on and so on....

Well our people in Ottawa who have their own blog called Inside Politics have weighed in on the situation, and you can read about it here.

Where questions go to die

Ryan and Jonathan and hockey ... oh my!

Since seen has a youtube account and isn't afraid to use it, the guys - Jonathan Crow and Ryan Snoddon from Here and Now - asked if we could post this promo for Hockey Night in Canada.

Adventures in news releases

From the Glovertown RCMP

"On 2010 01 26 a Chainsaw was turned into the Glovertown Detachment RCMP having been found in the Glovertown area.  Anyone with any knowledge as to the owner of the chainsaw, is asked to contact the RCMP at (709)533-2828."

A salute to Heritage Fair projects

As most parents know, this time of the year means the youngsters start working on those elaborate school assignments known as Heritage Fair projects. Some kids go to town, researching, creating and executing meticulous renditions of something Newfoundland and Labrador.

These photos are of an enterprising young man whose Heritage fair project deals with Newfoundland food, in particular fish and brewis. Looks delish:

The Parkway cam does a raindance

seen took the Parkway cam for a field trip this morning, to celebrate today's rain - a rare occasion in this part of the world at this of the year. The intersection is Elizabeth Ave.

More Winter Fun

We Newfoundlanders and Labradorians embrace our winter. When it comes, we make the most of it as you can see in these photos here taken in Foxtrap:

Winter Fun

VJ Glenn Payette came across this guy on Paddy's Pond yesterday.

Nothing like a fire alarm ...

to start off the morning for MUN students.

They were back in in a few minutes.

G.U.M.S Media

Tonight is the official world premiere of home-grown Grown Up Movie Star at the Sundance festival.

It's been shown a couple of times already at the festival on the weekend, earning standing ovations.

And of course with all movies, the media is starting to take notice:

Let's start off with Variety, the industry's bible:

"Girl gone wild" describes the young, nubile and overly provoked Ruby, who, in debut helmer Adriana Maggs' "Grown Up Movie Star."

Here a feature from the Globe and Mail on G.U.M.S Director Adriana Maggs:

She Knows No Boundaries

Here's a feature on Tatiana Maslany from canoe.ca

Cdn. Maslany getting Sundance buzz

DIY Fortis

Remember we challenged you to come up with your own ideas for the Fortis property on Water St.

Here's what seen thinks should go there:

More benefits for Haiti

"Harmony for Haiti. On Sunday, January 31st some of the community's leading musical ensembles will be collaborating with Oxfam Canada to hold a benefit concert to fundraiser for relief efforts in Haiti. The concert will be at 3 pm at Gower Street United Church. The Philharmonic Choir of the NSO, Bill Brennan and friends, Les Ms., Graham Wells and friends, The Step Fiddlers, QVE's Afterglow and more of the finest musical talent in St. John's will be featured in this concert hosted by Ramona Dearing of CBC Radio Noon. Suggested donation is 15$ at the door and all proceeds will be going to the Humanitarian Coalition which includes CARE, Save the Children, Oxfam Quebec and Oxfam Canada. Oxfam Canada will issue receipts for donations over 10$, and donations by visa will be accepted."

"Hearts for Haiti, a local fundraising group spearheaded by Spirit of Newfoundland Productions, presents a five-night festival of music, comedy, cabaret, dance, art and film and a silent auction to raise funds for our neighbors in Haiti struck by disaster. From January 27-31, the
Masonic Temple at 6 Cathedral Street opens its doors to all those who feel the need to simply
help. The schedule includes many of our finest: Amy House, Dana Parsons, Peter
Halley and Shelley Neville, Hugh Scott, Billy and the Bruisers, Calvin Powell, Chris
Kirby, Mike Hanrahan, Con O'Brien, Gracie Wells-Smith and Jeff Sullivan of The School of Dance and many more. Check out the website for dates of times of scheduled performances."

Those MUN students ...

are determined to raise money for Haiti.

Since the 12-hour concert is going on next door, a few enterprising Gonzaga students decided to go on a little field trip to the CBC with money buckets in hand.

Karla Fulgem and Sean White.

Andrew O'Dea and his proud dad, TV Resources Guru Mike.

Money for Haiti

seen told you a few days ago about a fundraiser taking place at Memorial University in the Breezeway to raise money to help the people of Haiti. The fundraiser started at 3 p.m. and will go for 12 hours.

Zach Goudie sent us this image of the proceedings.

Newfoundland and Labrador at Sundance

Well, people from this province involved in the movie Grown Up Movie Star are on their way to the Sundance film festival. The film will be part of the World Cinema competition, one of just 14 films selected from more than 1,000 submitted to the festival, and the only Canadian film in the running. The film officially premieres on Monday night.

Grown Up Movie Star Official Site

And Director Adriana Maggs is promising to blog from Sundance as well.

Director's Blog

Snow day 2010 - the Parkway Cam at 16:05

There was a fair amount of snow between this video and the one shot earlier.

Fortis DIY

Here is a photo with the original Water Street buildings married to a shorter Fortis building. Saving the street front, and giving Fortis their new, albeit smaller, office building. Terry Harvey

Fortis DIY

Some people like the new plan for Fortis's downtown property, some people hate it.

Some people acknowledge that changes have to be made, but not Fortis's design.

So here's a challenge: What would you like to see in that space? What changes would you make.

Get out your favourite photo editor or even a pen and pencil, and put on paper what you'd like to see.

Here are some images to work with from Google Streetview and our web cam. If you don't like these, snoop around the net and see if there's something else that strikes your fancy.

Send us your idea through the handy-dandy form to your right.

Have fun.

Snow Day 2010 - the Parkway Cam

at 11:04

What might it look like?

thanks to photoshop, the webcam, and acknowledgement that the scale and perspective are not quite right ... here's what the new Fortis development for downtown St. John's MIGHT look like.

Before:

After:

You'll only really find this funny ...

... if you left high school years ago, which seen did. Students are probably rolling their eyes.

St. John's high school Holy Heart likes to have fun with its sign, and here is a classic example:

seen's personal favourite comes from a few years ago when the sign read : "Prepare to meet your marker."

Fortis proposal

Fortis just released information on its proposed redevelopment of its Water Street property at Prescott Street and Harbour Drive in St. John's.

Here are the images:

Bugs minding their own business ...

seen's favourite kind.

The Newfoundland Insectarium has set up shop at the Geo Centre in St. John's.

Local Haiti relief

We've provided a link to national organizations where you can donate to help the people of Haiti, a page called Haiti Relief.

However, a number of local groups are organizing events as well, and as we get them we'll post them here.

Here's one from several Francophone groups:

Two days of concerts to aid the victims of the earthquake in Haiti
In solidarity with the Haitian people, several francophone organizations located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, will present a benefit concert.
 (Jim fiddler, The Once, The New Zazou, andrew james o'brien, colleen power, ian foster, les rose des vents.)

Saturday January 23rd
2 to 6 p.m. 
Centre des Grands-Vents, 65 Ridge Road

Over the course of the day, more that ten different artists will perform. All proceeds will be donated to the Salvation Army's Haiti Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund, including all revenues coming from ticket sales and all profits from the bar. A representative of the Salvation Army will also be on hand to receive donations for which tax receipts can be issued.

This event is jointly organized by the Association communautaire francophone of St. John's along with the Conseil scolaire francophone, the Federation des francophones and the Reseau culturel francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador. Technical assistance is being graciously provided by Atlantic Audio Visual.

The Saturday afternoon concert at the Centre des Grands-Vents will follow an event organized by the Memorial University Student Union and the Canadian Federation of Students on the evening of January 22nd at the Breezeway. The Friday evening event will support the efforts of Oxfam Canada and the Humanitarian Coalition.
Tickets cost $15 per person ($10 for children 17 years and younger)

Images from a frosty weekend ...

Cleaning off a CBS pond to play shinny Sunday when it was finally cold enough to venture onto the ice.

The Rhodo thermometer. Better than the real thing. When it's warm, the leaves are open and full. When it's cold, the leaves curl up into little corkscrews.

Bake it baby

seen has had the privilege of eating some 'Ace of Cakes' style cakes lately (really should take some photos) but it's further evidence that baking has taken off big time in this province.

And then this came into our inbox, and we couldn't resist. Who can resist cupcakes?

"February 5th-7th, a number of local artists will display and offer for sale a visual feast at the St. John's Arts and Culture Centre, in *Get Baked: Art for your Sweet Tooth*, an art event inspired by the cupcake. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to Marguerite's Place, a project of the St. John's Status of Women Council and the St. John's Women's Centre.

From paintings, photographs and collages to cupcakes made from recycled sweaters - even a seven-foot-tall cupcake tree - there'll be no shortage of delicious-looking desserts- no oven mitts required.

Artists participating in *Get Baked* include Alicia Simms, Tara Bradbury, Peggy Tremblett, Lori Ann Benson, Helen Davis, Nadine Hodder, Hilary Young-Laite and Cassandra Dodsworth, with contribution from Jared Reid, Jodi Rideout, Andrew Davis, Tval Soap and Skin Care and SGO Designer Glass."

A seven ft. tall cupcake tree????

Anyway here's the poster:

Day at the beach

This one was sent to seen called: "Sometimes it's just too dang cold to get out of the car."

But then Rod Etheridge did anyway ...