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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

SkipTheDishes

SkipTheDishes is a business I just found out about recently through Facebook. It is cool for those of you who are glued to the Internet and want to know how far a restaurant is from your location or delivery costs on food without making a phone call. The business was started here in Saskatoon but provides services to Western Canada.


I haven't used it yet but I am impressed with how user friendly and how much of a convenience it is. All you do is click whether you want to do a delivery or pick up and enter your postal code into the text box. Then it will have a list of the 23 restaurants here in the city that you can choose from. This includes some favourites of mine like Asian Garden, Konga Cafe and Fuzion. Beside the restaurant you can view the distance from your location, how expensive it is, delivery costs and whether it is open or not. Then clicking a restaurant will allow you to choose when you want to deliver or pick up and the menu with pricing.

Have you used it yet?

Yours Truly

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Vamps, Tramps and Nerds - Halloween Cabaret



Go to UofS, have a costume and don't know what to do on Halloween night?

Come to the Vamps, Tramps and Nerds Halloween Cabaret that takes place at Sutherland Hall at 8pm, Wednesday October 31st.

Tickets are $10, head to the tunnel (wherever that is, I didn't go to UofS ok?) and snag one. Drinks a $3 all night, so that's the best deal you'll find anywhere.

And my stupid ass is gonna be spinning. So expect some catchy fun time hits which I will guarantee you will not hear anywhere else in the city.

Word is bond.

Excerpt from the Facebook Event Page:

An event borne from the minds of the Biology, Geology and Chemistry student societies. Guaranteed to heebie your jeebies!!

Come join us for LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, FOOD, AND DRINK at the Sutherland Hall for your Halloween Entertainment! DRINKS ONLY $3!

PRIZES will be awarded for best costume - including a $100 gift certificate to the campus bookstore FIRST PRIZE FOR BEST COSTUME!

****TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE BIO LOUNGE (Bio Room 248) THE CHEM LOUNGE (Thorv Room G6) AND THE GEO LOUNGE. ALL TICKETS $10 - And if you're a member to any of these three clubs, YOUR FIRST DRINK IS ON US!!!******

Bring your friends! Bring your enemies, get them liquored up, and settle your differences!

Doors open at 8!

COME JOIN US.... IF YOU DARE. MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Monday, October 29, 2012

23rd Annual Barnstone Soccer Tournament

This year, Barnstone is on the weekend of November 16, 17 and 18. It will be played on turf at the Sasktel Soccer Centre and on tile at the Henk Ruys Soccer Centre. Here is a list of the are tournament options:

-Men's Open
-Men's Recreational
-Men's Master (35+)
-Women's Open
-Women's Recreational
-Classic Women (35+)
-Co-ed Open
-Co-ed Recreational
-Co-ed Masters (35+)

Women's and men's leagues are played 6v6, while the co-ed leagues will be 7v7. It costs $425 a team (maximum 18 people). The deadline is November 5, 2012. You can contact Dena Clark (229-3815) or Laurier Langlois (384-2607) for more information.

If you have played in the past, you know exactly why I am excited. There is tons of soccer to watch and play, good socializing opportunities and prizes to be won. There is a party on the Saturday evening and cash prizes for competitive leagues for men's, women's and co-ed. This year I joined a new team with majority of my indoor team to play in the co-ed open league. I suggest you come out to watch some games or have a drink/bite the Saturday night.

Yours Truly

Sunday, October 28, 2012

007: Skyfall

These 007 movies with Daniel Craig is one of my favorite movie series of all time. I have arguments with people about this all the time, but I think Daniel Craig plays an amazing James Bond. He is the most believable Bond. Cold and ruthless, but still charismatic and you get a sense that there is depth in his character.

This last Craig 007 film is getting rave reviews by critics, a lot of them claiming that it is the best of the 23 007 films... I can't wait to see it. Give the trailer a watch, in theaters NOW!




Stay classy Saskatoon,
Jason Tran

Friday, October 26, 2012

The Weeknd | Enemy

After all of that fake Abel Tesfaye drama, it seems like The Weeknd is still the on-going topic with my friends and I. This song was released yesterday, give it a listen. I assure you that this song was actually sang by the man himself!



Yours Truly

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Capital One x Just for Laughs x hello saskatoon Contest


This year, Capital One Canada, Just for Laughs and ourselves are hosting a contest for those of you in Saskatoon (this is a Saskatoon promotion including gifts specifically for Saskatoon citizens). This contest is to help promote the Capital One Canada and Just for Laughs show that is coming to Saskatoon. Show your appreciation by giving their Facebook pages a "like". Underneath is going to be some important information on how the contest will work.

Who
Like it says up above, all three of us (Capital One Canada, Just for Laughs and hello saskatoon) are coming together to provide a little contest for our readers.


What:
This contest is set up very easily. One way of entering the contest is to like hello saskatoon on Facebook and then to share this post with our Facebook account tagged to it. Another way is to follow us on Twitter and to tweet at @hellosaskatoon or to re-tweet this tweet including this link in the message. This means that you can only enter the draw up to two times.

When:
The contest will run from right now (October 25, 2012) until November 14, 2012.

Why:
It only takes a second of your day to share and re-tweet and you might be a winner of a gift basket. It includes the following things:

-Just for Laughs Gags DVD
-DVD of the touring comedian
-Just for Laughs mascot plushie
-Capital One/Just for Laughs pins
-$100 gift certificate for a local restaurant


Did you know that 41% of Canadians said they're laughing all the way to the bank when their e-bank statement shows that they have more money than they thought? Well maybe this gift basket will make you feel the same way.

Please Read
No purchase necessary. Open to Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory. Enter the Capital One x Just for Laughs x hello saskatoon Contest for your chance to win a Laughing All the Way to the Bank give away package worth approximately $125 CDN.  Prize packs include a $100 gift card to a local restaurant, a Just For Laughs Gag DVD and a DVD featuring one of the tour's comedians and a Just for Laughs mascot plush toy.  Any part of the give away package may be substituted for one of equal or greater value.  To enter, read the "What" section. Contest opens right now and closes November 14, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. Chances of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Skill-testing question required.

Also, there is a another contest called the Standup Stand-off. You simply watch the videos on the link and choose your favourite comedian. While you're doing that you may as well enter to win a LG entertainment bundle or one of the other fun gifts. This contest will be running to November 14, 2012 as well!

Best of luck!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Oct. 23rd Apple Event

I'm a huge Apple fan, not going to lie. Yes, I use a BlackBerry rather than an iPhone, but I've gone through a couple MacBooks, currently using a MacBook Air and an old first gen iPad at the moment.

The Apple Event just wrapped up today and some new goodies were released. Here's a little bit of a recap for non-tech-geeks (as in, I won't be emphasizing specs at all).

iPad Mini: This was what everyone was waiting for, and now it's here! 7.9 inch screen, 53% lighter and 23% thinner than a full-sized iPad. The design has a smaller bezel at the side and it has the same silver or black aluminum that the iPhone 5 has. Starting at $320 for the Wi-fi only version.


New iMac: This one doesn't have a disc drive anymore but one of the benefits of that is how thin they can make it now. Beautiful, isn't it? (That disc drive attachment in the picture is a separate purchase... it's an extra $80 I think.)



New 13-inch MacBook Pro: The 13-inch MacBook Pro gets the same disc drive delete but it adds the Retina display. $1699 is pretty pricey I must say...


4th-gen iPad: So this one might piss some people off... because the last iPad released only six months ago. Either way, there are some incremental improvements both to hardware and design. It gets the black or silver aluminum too. Here's a picture with the 4th gen iPad and the Mini side-by-side.


New Mac Mini: Not much to say about this one... I guess they improved some of the hardware in it? Who even buys Mac Minis anyways?



There it is folks, the new Apple products available in November. This isn't too in-depth, but should be enough to keep you up to date with what's available from Apple. Planning on getting any of these new products? Pissed off a new iPad is already out? Disappointed by the price/lack of features/design? Leave a comment!


Stay classy Saskatoon,
Jason Tran

Trailer: Iron Man 3

Hey check it out. The first Iron Man 3 trailer is now out.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Review: Mizuno Neo Estrela

I just received these Mizuno's this past month, so I seemed fitting to do a review for all of those players looking for new indoor boots.


Marketing
Not this boot specifically, but the Neo series looks to find the consumer who wants a lightweight leather boot. This one weighs in at about 6.5 oz, I remember owning Vapor III's and IV's (lightest at their time) which weight between 7-8 oz. You can actually feel the difference in weight from wearing a standard cleat to putting these on. The Neo shoes were made by slimming down their classic Morelia model. The shoe is currently being worn by Hulk. The model I have is one tier lower (Japan exclusive) using a full grain leather instead of a kangaroo leather. The Estrela also has HG (hard ground) studs and are meant for artificial turf.


Fit
I went up with a half size larger than usual. They have a normal width, I didn't need them to widen at all. That being said, the shoe only molds to your foot. It won't really stretch.

Breaking In
It only took me a couple of sessions to break in. I have played three small sided games and kicked balls around Forest Park twice. I will mention that the sole is kind of stiff at the start, so do some running around your first couple of times wearing them rather than juggling and shooting balls. The quicker they break in, the sooner that they are match ready.

Price
I paid $160 for my pair, which I thought was quite affordable for a top level boot. For most lightweight boots regular price you are usually looking at $200 minimum.

Positives
There are many positives. To begin with, the boots are affordable for being a high tier product. Another positive is that it is both lightweight and leather. On top of that, the leather is soft. Lastly you can wear them straight out of the box, there is zero stud pressure.

Negatives
The only disappointment I have found so far is the support system. It is no more than a thin insole, but not as bad as the F50 adiZero lightweight insoles. They are still comfortable but comparing it to a Nike Zoom Air, it really doesn't compete. If you are a defender (or just wreckless) and think you may get a lot of studs to your feet, I would recommend a boot with a thicker upper.

Conclusion
This boot was a test to see how I felt towards Mizuno and lightweight cleats in general. So far, I am happy. I would like to see Mizuno enter the North American market in the next couple of years. To speak on lightweight boots, I enjoy them but have found that it is not a top priority anymore when making purchases. If you play soccer and are looking to try something different, I recommend you look at the Mizuno line. I enjoy mine so far, and my brother seems to love both of his pairs.

Yours Truly

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

SSSAD: High School Soccer

Personally for me it has been a while since I played a high school match. So to keep myself a part of Centennial Collegiate, I have been coaching with some friends the past year and the present one too. Remember how fun it was, having the chance to support your school and playing against friends from the same club for once? I miss it.

Now this might be my last year coaching because it's my brother's last year in high school. And based on how the season is going, any game could be a last one now that playoffs have begun. The top four teams (Centennial, Evan Hardy, Holy Cross and St. Joes) are neck and neck and all four have reached the semi-finals. So this Thursday night you can come check out some games if you enjoy soccer or support one of these schools.

Yours Truly

Monday, October 15, 2012

Movies: Looper

So this review is long time in the making.

I went to go see Looper a few weeks back with JJ and his friend. I really wanted to see it, but I didn’t make any active plans to gather people to actually go see it. Luckily JJ asked if I wanted to join, so I did.

The film follows around “Joe” who is a looper, which is a specialized assassin that contracted by the future mob. In the future, where time travel is possible and pretty much banned right away (butterfly effect and stuff like that), it is near impossible to kill and dispose of a body.

So what the future mob does is: they grab the hit, throw a bag over their head, executioner style, send him back in time (even though it’s illegal, but it’s the mob, what do they care?) to a specific location where a looper will be waiting. Once the hit appears, the looper simply kills the hit and disposes of the body.

Once the future mob is finished with a looper, they “close the loop” by finding the looper’s future self, grab him and send him back to the past where the past looper eliminates himself. Closing the loop leaves the looper with a handsome amount to retire with so they can get on with their lives and do whatever they want.

But for Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) here, future Joe (Bruce Willis) is a little too crafty for that. So crafty that future Joe manages to escape, which is bad news for past Joe.

I’m so bad at describing and explaining things, Looper is probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever have to explain. But that’s done with.

Looper has such a great, great, great story. Explaining it is more difficult than actually understanding the movie when you watch it. There probably hasn't been a good time travel movie since Back to the Future. But what probably gets me the most is that this is a unique story line. Not a remake, which seems to be every movie this year.

Without giving too much away, the way they utilize certain time travelling elements with the movie is pretty damn unique. The movie does take a turn that you do not expect at all. All of a sudden it becomes a whole different movie, which I definitely did not anticipate. But it takes a good turn. Like a right turn into a Tim Hortons drive thru with nobody in line. A good turn.

But that being said, after the movie, JJ noticed a handful of loop holes that could probably be debated until the end of time. Like the ending of Inception. But it’s one of those things I really can’t say because it’d take away from the movie. Which is sort of a bummer, because I’d like to tell you more but I just can’t!



Should you go see it? Absolutely. It’s a smart movie but not overwhelmingly confusing, it's not like an episode of Lost. Although my feeble attempt at explaining it doesn't help. So just go watch it, then you'll get it.

Case and Point
Looper is: metaphoric.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Kanye West - White Dress

Featured on the RZA's "The Man with the Iron Fists". Everyone is saying "Welcome back Mr. West", what do you think of this new track?

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Stussy & Nike "The S&S Collection"


This entire year Nike has been running the shoe game with releases from Nike SB, Nike Sportswear and Jordan. Now they collaborating with surfing brand Stussy to present a new feel to their footwear and products. This actually really works, it looks like Nike's 1990's advertisements and Stussy's colourways closer to Y2K.

In the past the two brands have came together to make successful sneakers. This time the idea is to have three different soles on three different shoes. Specifically for snow, sand and street with the help of the Mogan II OMS (street), the Lunar Braata Mid OMS (sand) and the Dunk OMS (snow). The cool thing is that the Lunar Braata has Lunarlon technology and the Dunk will have the Free technology.





This collection releases on October 13, 2012. What are your thoughts?

Yours Truly

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Monday, October 8, 2012

Nike SB | Koston x Heritage


The highly awaited Koston have finally arrived to Saskatoon. This shoe is a fusion between the Eric Koston One and the Air Max 90 that was designed by Tinker Hatfield. The colour way is known as Black/Volt (536058-003). If you don't already know, Koston is a sneaker head. He has been collecting SB's, Jordan's and Air Maxes for a long time now.

You can see the heavy influence of the AM90 from the rubber tabs, eyelets and stitching. The Koston is known for being a seamless skate shoe, so this is a big change (it may not stretch as much). I managed to try them on and not only does it look aesthetically different but feels different too, it almost feels like there is more ankle support. On the other hand, this model still takes advantage of the Lunarlon insole and will an identical board feel to the Koston.

As far as I know, these can only be found at Momentum Marketplace.

Yours Truly

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Just a Taste: Spicy Garden

Location
Spicy Garden can be found on 8th Street right off of Cumberland. It's in the same shopping strip as Safeway, Yip Hong and Original Joes.

Environment
The restaurant itself is very small and congested. It gets filled up fast considering the amount of seats that are available. But the service is good and it seemed like everyone in the restaurant were enjoying their meals.

Menu
The menu is very large. They serve Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. There was an assortment of soups (including Tom Yum and pho), vermicelli/bun, rice dishes, noodle dishes and even have a vegetarian section.

Food
I ordered the house special vermicelli which was two spring rolls, beef, chicken, prawn and vegetables on noodles. It was pretty good, but I found that the serving was small for a house special but then again it was only $8.95. On a positive note, the shrimp was large, the beef was savoury and the spring rolls stayed crispy.


Conclusion
The food and service is good, but try to show up before the supper rush if you would like to grab a seat quickly. I also noticed that you can make reservations if you know you want to go in advance. The menu is gigantic, so I know there is something for everyone at the Spicy Garden.

Spicy Garden Restaurant on UrbanspoonYours Truly 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Let's Chat: Traffic Bridge

I just learned today that the Traffic Bridge, or the Victoria Bridge, is set to be dismantled today (Oct. 4).

This particular bridge scared the crap outta me whenever I had to drive across it. And when I had heard that it was being closed down, it didn't surprise me.

This was the the first bridge built in Saskatoon, which was meant for carriages and horses and stuff. And I guess fast forward to today, it was a bridge of romance for people young and in love. But I never got any of that and so this will forever be the scary bridge until its very last beam is taken down.

Seriously, the thing looks like a prop out of Silent Hill.

I walk by it every morning on my way to work and I'm sure that if I inhale the air around the bridge long enough, I will get tetanus. It's probably also being held together by asbestos covered with lead based paint.

But I will admit, it'll be weird walking across the Sid Buckwold Bridge and not see that frightening bridge. It'll be weird driving across the University Bridge and not seeing those silly lights.

But all things have an ending.

What do you think about the dismantling of the bridge? Feeling nostalgic? Let's talk about it.

TTYL Traffic Bridge.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

ICECREAM

Pharrell has re-launched the ICECREAM skate team. When I heard this, I was really excited. The video introduces the team and shows some big and technical tricks. I have a feeling that they are about to become one of my favourite skate teams.



Yours Truly

Monday, October 1, 2012

Zidane vs Materazzi by Adel Abdessemed


Remember the World Cup final in 2006? Well, this sixteen-foot high statue has been put outside of Paris' Centre Pompidou.

Yours Truly

Just a Taste: The Rook and Raven

Location
The Rook and Raven is located at 154 2nd Avenue.

Environment
The Rook and Raven is a lounge styled restaurant. It is very nice, using chalk for drink menus and wooden menus. The restaurant is quite long and narrow with TV's and a bar at the middle and an assortment of different seating from the front of the restaurant to the back.

Menu
The menu wasn't big but they offered a variety of appetizers, entrees and salads. There were wings, cheese platters, steak, sandwiches, burgers, fish and chips and desserts. The meals start at around $10.

 Food
I ordered the loaded burger with fries. In my opinion it was cooked mediocre but the seasoning on the patty was good. The ingredients were fresh and the presentation was nice. There were a lot of fries which was nice but they were very salty, salty enough that I could visibly see the grains of salt. That being said, I left the restaurant being full for $11.


Conclusion
According to Urbanspoon many people had a better experience than me, which makes me want to give the restaurant a second chance. The prices are a bit higher but the restaurant was really nice. Our server started out polite but as time went on he became a bit irritating by being pushy and rushing us. I feel like I may have just gone on a bad day, so I hope to do another Just a Taste on The Rook and Raven in the future.

The Rook and Raven on UrbanspoonYours Truly