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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Air Jordan III | Fire Red


The Air Jordan III was the first model that Tinker Hatfield designed for Michael Jordan. Michael has created many fond memories and photos with this pair of shoes. The Fire Red III features a nice tumbled leather upper with cement print accents. You can stunt on people with a pair of these at your outdoor court or at the Fringe. These will most likely be available at Foot Locker and Momentum on 8th for $200 this Saturday (August 3, 2013).

Yours Truly

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Essentials | Dallas S.

This is the essentials for hello saskatoon's Dallas. Since it has been a while, essentials are the items that you rarely leave your house without. People often say "I can't live without my phone", well for a lot of us there is more than just a phone. We have been putting this off for a while now so here is Dallas's essentials. 


Nike Free Run 2+ -  Bought these shoes in the spring. Whether I am going for a bike ride or a heading out for the night these shoes go with practically anything.

Keys - For the 'Rari

Cardholder - One of my favourite Christmas gifts, simple and practical.

iPhone - Follow me on instagram: @thedallylama twitter: @dallashs  

Yours Truly

Monday, July 29, 2013

U-N-I | Revisited


On my days off I have been searching through old music and listening to what I like now and what I liked in the past. This group is called U-N-I from Los Angeles, one part Y-O and the other Thurzday. I believe I discovered this duo in 2007 with the help of JJ. They were sneaker heads, good at telling stories and each offered a different style. Now the two split up to pursue their personal careers but it's always nice to listen to their old mixtapes.







Yours Truly

Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Other Guy | Interview



Lets start off with a little introduction, tell us about yourself.
My name Is Trevor Gusikoski. I’m a husband, a dad, i love to paint and make shirts, i rarely sleep much, i’m addicted to caffeine and i like angry music. Pretty much sums me up in a sentence.

What is The Other Guy? What does it stand for or mean?
I’m The Other Guy, It’s a nickname i got a long time ago.
What does it stand for?....don’t follow people, don’t be like everyone else, do your own thing, do what you want to do...be the other guy.

Art comes in many forms, what are some of your favourite styles?
graffiti, when it’s done well, i love it. I’ve never tried to do it, i have no urge to try it, but it’s one of my favourites.
 t-shirts (obviously). you can say a lot with a single t-shirt (they can be offensive, religious, funny, evil....) because it’s right there in peoples faces, people notice them and look at them all day everyday, it’s a form of art that most people don’t think twice about or care about, but it’s everywhere.


They say art is like a sport, where you have to be hours and hours in before becoming good at it. Would you agree with this or did art come more naturally to you?
i agree, i have been drawing/painting since i was a little kid, but to get good at it, you have to put some time in, lots of time, practice and patience.

Is painting something that you have taken up on your own or has someone been there to teach and guide you?
everything i do, draw/paint/illustrator/photoshop is all self taught, i took the time and figured out how things work and what works best for me. I did take art classes throughout high school (and learned a lot about air brushing) but that was mainly because i hated school and they were an easy credit.

Pieces of art can be found for literally nothing or millions of dollars, how is art given a price?
i'm not totally sure, this is just my opinion....i feel like it's all in the 'name' of the artist, which to me, is stupid. Their are some artists out there who put everything they have into every piece they make/design and they are just scraping by, but then some one with a 'popular' name just quickly throws something together with no thought is selling millions....makes no sense to me at all.

Do you have any priceless pieces of art that you would never consider selling?
i have a lot of toys, and a lot that i really like, i have a chrome Terminator Bearbrick that i’ve never seen another one, but, i guess for the right price i’d sell them haha

Hobbies are not only important to people because they’re fun and pass the time, but they often have a deeper meaning. Are there any reasons why you continue to work on pieces other than personal enjoyment?
yeah, i won’t get into deep detail, but, i have a few health/medical conditions that i’ve been in and out of the hospital for for the past 5-10 years. When i’m painting, they don’t seem to matter, i don’t think about them. I know it probably sounds weird or crazy, but painting is one of the very few things that i can do to totally take my mind off of everything.


Favourite artist?
Suedehead, Johnny Crap, Drop, Bryan Espiritu (it would be a dream to ever work with any of them)

Favourite piece of art?
that i own? ‘Yore Demons’ by Bryan Espiritu

Favourite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon in the city?
go swimming, go to the park or go for a walk with my wife and daughter (and Elvis)

Three things you never leave your house without.
simple. keys, wallet, phone. yes i’m one of those people who has his phone all the time, that’s mainly how i’m The Other Guy.

Any Last Words?
shut your mouth, and open your eyes.


Follow The Other Guy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

And stay tuned for a giveaway!

Yours Truly

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Momentum | The Parks Series


Momentum's "Parks Series" releases today at both of their locations. There will be an assortment of tees, a hoody and pins. The idea behind the collection was to draw inspiration from the lake life and nature that we are exposed to in Saskatchewan and Canada. Using Saskatchewan/Canadian staples and Momentum branding, the store was able to partner with MSTRPLN to create different graphic designs. Each shirt will have a crest logo on the front and a larger graphic on the back. My personal favourite is the maple leaf, as it resembles Montreal's 1976 Summer Olympics logo.






For more information on the product visit fromthefeetup.ca.

Yours Truly

Friday, July 26, 2013

Paradise Soccer Club | the ART of FUTSAL

the ART of FUTSAL at HONOLULU NIGHT MARKET from BOTO BOY FILMS on Vimeo.

This is a tournament that took place in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was a 3v3 tournament that was hosted by Paradise Soccer Club, food, drinks and music were also present. This is always something that my friends and I enjoyed doing this at tennis courts in our high school days. Sometime in my future, I can see myself hosting a tournament like this.

Yours Truly

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Kanye West | Black Skinhead (Official Video)

NSFW


As we all know, Kanye never does the same thing twice. It's not "the best video of all time"in my opinion, but it's something new. This time we see an animated music video labeled "BLKKK SKKKN HEAD". His album "Yeezus" has created a lot of debate. Some listeners saying that this is the worst album ever, while others are saying the opposite. What are your thoughts?

Yours Truly

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Adele Ft. Childish Gambino | Rolling in the Deep (Jamie xx Remix)

NSFW


This track goes back a few Summer's ago, I had it on a burnt disc that I made and left in my car for a long period of time. So in my mind, this song is relevant and is a Summer song. Johnny please incorporate this into your set (I know DJ's don't like requests) and I will be there in a heartbeat.

Yours Truly

Monday, July 22, 2013

Taste of Saskatchewan 2013

Taste of Saskatchewan may be expensive and busy but that's the price you pay to sample multiple local restaurants. It was good, seeing and eating at both old and new restaurants. I wish that there would be more new restaurants to be honest, I don't know how expensive it is to get a booth but I like to see that ambition from new entrepreneurs. When I go to the Taste of Saskatchewan I try to eat at places that I wouldn't go to regularly or eat those popular dishes you hear everyone speak about. Beneath are some photos of dishes that were ordered.








Sunday, July 21, 2013

Plains Hardware | Interview




To start things off, give us a little introduction of yourself.
Hi, I’m Derek, I just started a skateboard hardware company called Plains because I love skateboarding and want to contribute positively to its growth in Canada.

A lot of people have a “light bulb” moment when coming up with a business idea, did you have one?
It started when my brother and I were making t-shirts a few years ago and we were talking about possibly sponsoring some skateboarders. To me it’s weird for a clothing company to sponsor skateboarders so I started to think of products we could make that could actually be used by skaters. Nothing ever happened with that but I always had that thought in my brain of how rad it would be to sell some legit skate products. Then I made some more t-shirts on my own and found it somewhat unfulfilling. If I was going to have a “brand” and be involved in skateboarding it had to be through a proper company and for me, hardware was the perfect choice.

Is this a project that you have been working alone on? Do you have a partner or mentor, or are you going in solo?
On the business side it’s been just me. A photographer friend of mine basically set up the team for me as a favour and I still can’t thank him enough.

And the name? How was Plains chosen?
I had this name in my head for other things I had been working on but never used it. I wanted something simple that didn’t have any inherent meaning attached to it and also a name that could somewhat describe the company as well. Plains is perfect as a nod to the type of design aesthetic and skating I prefer as well as representing where the company comes from geographically.

Do you have a vision for Plains?
To support Canadian skateboarders and skateboarding any way we can.

The skate industry is filled with large corporations and well matured companies. What generally stops smaller companies like Plains find success and growth in the market? Could be a variety of things. Maybe someone got into it for the wrong rea$on$, maybe their products suck, maybe they don’t sponsor the right skaters? It also depends on how you choose to measure success. To someone success means getting rich, to someone else it means making a living, for me at this point success is getting the company launched and having such a good team backing it and the best stores that are willing to stock it.

Past experiences lead us to our present. What sort of projects have you done previously that have given you experience?
Well as I mentioned earlier I did a t-shirt company with my brother from ’08-’11 called Single Second. We had a lot of fun doing that and learned about everything involved in producing clothing and trying to sell it to strangers. Then when we stopped doing that I kept making clothing under the brand name Heathens which is still sort of going but is now on hold so I can focus on Plains. So I had experience in starting a couple companies as well as learning how to promote them, even though I’m pretty sure I was awful at that part.

With these previous endeavors, do you have any advice for entrepreneurs?
Over 6 years ago my brother and I had an idea to make some t-shirts and be a Canadian “streetwear” brand, we put out a few designs and sent a few emails, our stuff ended up on some of the biggest blogs and websites in that scene and we sold out a number of designs fairly quick. If you really want to do something then do it, it sounds dumb but it’s that simple. Your own thoughts and doubts are usually the biggest hurdle to get over when doing something creative. But the best form of advice I could give would be to always do your own thing and to learn when to do things by yourself and when to ask for help.

Where can someone find and buy your products?
Right now Plains is stocked at Ninetimes and Momentum in Saskatoon, Tiki Room in Regina and New Board Shop in Moose Jaw. Hopefully we’ll be adding a whole bunch more locally owned skateshops before the end of summer.



Saskatoon hidden gem skatespot?
The west side. I drive by cool spots all the time but they all need to be broken in (waxed,fixed,swept etc.) and most of them would need to be skated at night. 

All time favourite professional skateboarder?
Keenan Milton

Favourite place to grab a quick bite?
EE Burritos on 22nd

Any final words?
Keep skateboarding fun!



Thanks Derek for your time and your story. You can see what Derek has been up to via social media, hit the link to view the Plains' Facebook and Instagram.

Yours Truly

Friday, July 19, 2013

Just a Taste: Granada House

Location
Granada House is located on 904 22nd St. West.

Environment
As far as I know, the restaurant has been newly renovated. The furniture is a bit outdated but I like it, we used to go with my grandpa so it produces good memories. The building is large and is generally quite busy for supper. The staff is nice and they really do try to make your experience a good one.

Menu
The menu is gigantic, there is everything from greek food to sea food. I went for lunch and there was a two sided menu of reasonably priced dishes including a daily special which offers a main food, fries, salad and soup. They also have a drink menu that includes local liquors like Lucky Bastard and Gambit Gin.

Food
You really get a bang for your buck, I spent under $10 for a special. It was a Philly cheesesteak sandwich with fries, caesar salad and beef barley soup. The food isn't outstanding or unique, but it is pleasing. It is similar to a Venice House type of restaurant. I definitely went home with a full stomach.


Conclusion
Like I said, the food isn't unique or the best restaurant in the city but something keeps me coming back. You can leave full and satisfied for a reasonable price and there is something on the menu for everybody.


Granada House Family Restaurant on UrbanspoonYours Truly 

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Ransom Holding Co. | Spring '14 Preview



Canada's Ransom Holding Co. gives us a little teaser of next year's collection. The video is open ended, so I am not sure what to expect. They could begin producing their own footwear, continue adidas collaborations or maybe just do apparel. Whatever it is, I look forward to seeing it. The video is cool and takes great use of nature, which is normal of Ransom.

Yours Truly

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Animal House @ The Freehouse Feat. Jaguarmeister x Cougarbourbon



I'm super excited to announce that I will be DJ'ing as a headliner at The Freehouse on Saturday, July 20th with my friend Phil, AKA Cougarbourbon.

Come down for a bevvy and show me your best dance moves.

There is no cover so there's really no excuse not to come down. The Freehouse is always packed and with good reason too.

See you there.

Hot Summer Patio Wakaw Lake Beer Disco Jams by Jaguarmeister on Mixcloud

Dr. J Birthday Bash | July 17, 2013


Today at Lydia's, Dr. J will be celebrating his 40th birthday. He never disappoints!


Monday, July 15, 2013

Just a Taste: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Location
Five Guys can be found on 1840 8th Street. The restaurant shares a building with Pure on the same block as Mano's and Earthbound Bakery.

Environment
The environment to me was a turn off if anything, but then again do you expect fast food joints to be visually appealing? The music is loud at times and an employee spends 25% of his time yelling out your order number.

Menu
The simplicity of the menu is great. Double patty burgers, singles, sandwiches, fries cooked in peanut oil, cajun fries, hot dogs and free peanuts.

Food
I went with the bacon cheeseburger which was loaded with raw onions, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos, green peppers, hot sauce, relish and ketchup. It was savoury, messy and greasy. I personally like eating a burger where fillings slide out and the juice of the burger drips, something about a messy burger just feels right. For a side I went with their regular fries, they come in abundance. If you don't know what size you want, ask to see their serving sizes and expect double. Something you shouldn't expect is good presentation, view my picture for evidence.


Conclusion
I liked it, as a fast food restaurant it's good. Does it live up to the hype? Well I believe there are much better tasting and priced burger joints in the city, but then again it won't be as quickly prepared as Five Guys Burgers and Fries. If you have a peanut allergy, stay away! If not, treat yourself to something new!

Five Guys Burgers and Fries on UrbanspoonYours Truly 

Friday, July 12, 2013

Shad | Freestyle



Shad is one Canadian rapper who has made a name for himself. I saw him once in person and the guy can entertain, he puts his soul into the music he makes. Here he spits a freestyle that is better lyrically than some produced singles. He would give improviser Wayne Brady a challenge for his Whose Line is it Anyways? spot. And here I thought freestyling one verse with Dallas was difficult.

Yours Truly

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Grand Theft Auto V | Gameplay Trailer



This franchise is what really sold the PS2 to me, other than my love for Capcom. Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City were my first two games for the system. I love that there is more than a story line, you can be interactive with the open world and literally do whatever you want to, grab a bite, drive fast cars, beat on gangsters and take women out on dates with your infinite amount of cash.

Yours Truly

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

University of Saskatchewan Men's Soccer Beer Night


This Saturday my old teammates will be hosting there first co-ed 3v3 tournament on campus. This tournament is open to anyone who has three guys and two girls interested. All skill levels are welcome, everyone is encouraged to take part in some way. Events will be planned by the guys for the entire day, this will include a beer night at the Hose & Hydrant. For $15 from you can bring your friends out and meet the guys. The event will take place from 8-10 pm. All proceeds will go towards the men's team.

For questions and more information hit the link.

Yours Truly 

Air Jordan 1 | Shadow


The second Air Jordan model to come out this Saturday is the "Shadow" 1. A black and grey upper rests comfortably on this high (not mid top) silhouette. This model looks good on ballers and regular people alike. These will be priced around $140 and will most likely be found at Foot Locker and Momentum on 8th. If these look anything like they do in this photo, I plan on grabbing a pair for myself too.

Yours Truly

Monday, July 8, 2013

Video Game Review: The Last of Us



Never have I ever played a game where I legitimately felt an emotional connection with characters. I mean, how lame is that? 'Cause like, y'know, they're not real. So lame right?

Seriously though, if there's a game this year, it's this game. And I probably say that about every bloody game I write about, but no, this game will become a classic. It proves that video games aren't just about flashy bang gun violence (even though there's a lot of that in this game), but can be about true engaging story telling.

20 years after an epidemic of mutant cordyceps sweeps across the world turning people into mindless husks, much of civilization is in ruins. The story follows Joel who works as a smuggler unwillingly tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenaged girl, across country to a resistance group called the Fireflies.

On this journey they are faced with the never ending danger of the hostile world as it is after the pandemic; infected humans, hostile scavengers and bandits, even cannibals.



What I did like.

As mentioned before, this game attaches you to the characters. As if you are Joel and you are escorting Ellie. There are times where I've caught myself waiting, just so that Ellie can catch up with me. It's definitely the little things.

Example: Ellie cannot swim, and when hopping on debris to reach to the other side of a rushing sewer, I stopped myself when I got to the other side, turned around and watched Ellie make her way across, just in case she didn't make it. Even though it's a game and I knew she was gonna make it, I still watched anyways because the attachment made me worry.

The chemistry between Joel and Ellie are second to none, there are times in this game, I admit, that got me choked up. If there's anything that this game proves, it's that video games aren't just games anymore, they're stories, stories as good as any book or movie out there.

Ellie will stop to notice the environment from time to time, and even though she swears like a sailor and has seen her fair share of violence, she's still a child at heart. Not only are you protecting her, but you're also seeing the world through her eyes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the survival aspect of the game. Depending on how you handle situations is well tied into how much supplies you had. If there's a situation where you are swarmed by enemies, you can go one of two ways, guns-a-blazing or sneak it out. Both are equally as challenging in any case.

America 2033 is a cruel world and I felt that the environment was beautifully captured. Think I Am Legend. The world is dilapidated and over grown with plants and the like, while hidden in the bowels of buildings, the infected lay in wait for their next meal. Wonderfully well lit, a little bit of graphical tweaking goes a long way.



A huge problem with a lot of video games I find that is that the AI is too predictable or that they're just out right awful and always in the way. Naughty Dog (producers of the game) seemingly found the solution. AI is usually a hindrance, but when going around with Ellie, she actually helps out. If I'm in a fire fight and I run out of bullets, she'll hand me some. If I'm too distracted with shooting people in front of me and there's a baddy flanking (another smart AI perk) me, Ellie will point that out by shouting where he is, or in some cases, she will even take care of him for me.

The little things. Oh man, the little things. Example: Normally in games if an AI is around you sneaking as well, they'll just phase right through the character, like a game glitch. When you're sneaking around all crouched and what not, Joel will always have his hand to the wall, if Ellie is around, Joel's hand will move around Ellie, protecting her.



What I didn't like.

This is probably just me, but games that are very story driven generally don't have much replay value aside from the "visit here and find 6 relics". But since I am not an achievement hunter I don't care for these things. To some this may by an issue, but for myself, when I beat a game, I never touch it again, unless it's something really good. (Mass Effect)

At first the controls feel a little stiff as if you don't have complete control of the character. It felt really sluggish, but over time I got used to it.

There's the option to upgrade your weapons at work benches as the game progresses, but the times you come across work benches is so infrequent that it makes me wonder why weapon upgrading was a component in this game. Even though you upgrade your weapons, they still feel the same.



Naughty Dog knows how to make a good game. Remember when you first got a Playstation and Crash Bandicoot was one of the launch titles, that was Naughty Dog. Over the years they have definitely matured as shown in their current gen video games, most notably in the Uncharted series and most recently, this game, The Last of Us.

The Last of Us, albeit late to the party, is absolutely one of Playstation 3's significant titles that must be played.

Air Jordan IV | Toro


July 13, 2013, the "Toro" IV is one of two Air Jordan's that will be dropping this Saturday. This is a new colour way and I am sure it will be a banger. Based on photos, this shoe looks great. For about $200 you can grab this at your local Air Jordan retailer.

Yours Truly

Saturday, July 6, 2013

A POV Video of Rooftop Parkour


Being insanely afraid of heights, having vertigo, and not being a fan of parkour; thought twice about watching this one. The entire time I wanted to run home, cure my 'red ring of death' on my first gen xbox and play Assassin's Creed.

If you're into entertaining POV video's that will keep you on your toes... This one's for you! Enjoy! ;)

 

the Method to my Madness,

ill Adventure! | July 6, 2013


These boys are hosting a show tonight at the Odeon. For $10 at Momentum or Odeon or $15 at the door, you and your friends can hide from the rain and let loose for the weekend. They plan on providing you with good hip hop tracks so that you can groove or just bounce around.

Yours Truly