The Unknown Studio

It’s no secret that the Dawson Bridge needed a major facelift (see actual photo of bridge before renovations began below). And while most residents of Riverdale (and Forest Heights, on the east side of the North Saskatchewan River) have taken the inconvenience in stride, the negative impact of the bridge closure on others is palpable.

Not so for local software development manager Sean Ouimet, however. Sean’s lived in Riverdale for about six and a half months and during the summertime, he uses the Dawson Bridge often. The Unknown Studio spoke with Sean over email to sort out how the bridge closure has negatively impacted his life… if at all. Read the rest of this entry »

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Sometimes it feels like no matter the choices we make — buying clothes, going out, mowing the lawn (or even having a lawn) — we’re doing something to harm the environment, indigenous group, or some animal species. It’s damn near impossible to make a purchase without discovering it’s had some negative impact on something or someone if you trace what you’ve bought back to its component parts.

However, as people become more aware of the impact of their purchasing choices, some have moved to make more prudent, low-impact buys, whether they need a new pair of shoes or want to buy a box of chocolates.

That’s where Ethical Ocean comes in. Spawned from a discussion during a road trip in 2007 and launched at the beginning of February, Ethical Ocean equips consumers with the tools they need to make ethical buying choices. Think of it as the eCommerce solution to the green, fair trade and organic movements.

The Unknown Studio had a chance to speak with Tony Hancock, one of the minds behind Ethical Ocean over email last week. Read the rest of this entry »

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You know, I’ve been force-feeding myself these FMLs for the last month, all so I can provide their authors with a little bit of advice to avoid further cursing their own misfortune/stupidity. And one thing I’ve noticed that galls me is the fact that every single one begins with “Today,”. This would lead me to believe that the moment the misfortune/stupidity occurs, the victim runs to a computer to declare it to the world.

Or it’s just a style choice.

Either way: dumb.

And either way, we have this week’s installment of FML Friday. Something for you to read over lunch. And then choke on your sandwich. FYL. Read the rest of this entry »

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Yes, humble reader, I still live.

It’s been a while – too long, really – since I’ve put finger-to-key and typed up a new entry for the blog. I have no one to blame (other than BioWare), and can only say that I will try and make sure we don’t have too many long stretches like this past one.

I have a few things on the go, such as a new entry for The Character Assassin and another Watch This! feature, but today I wanted to do something quick and light to remind you that yes, I do, in fact, still contribute.

I’d like to introduce you to the girl I took out for a spin the other day.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock in the province of Alberta, you’ll know that there have been some interesting recent developments in our political landscape. I’m not going to go over a history of those developments, but you’d do best to read Dave Cournoyer’s coverage of the movement, such as it is.

From my perspective, it started with the Reboot Albert discussion, manned by progressive conservatives like Ken Chapman and Chris LaBossiere. Variously disenfranchised with Alberta’s current political mix — particularly in light of Bill 44 — these guys formed part of the movement towards a post-partisan dialogue, founded on the agreement that the party system is far more than simply imperfect: it’s broken, and doesn’t engage citizens anymore. Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s that time of year again, everyone. The time when Hollywood is abuzz… With gossip, wild speculation, and a genetically sperior African killer bee. Yes, it’s Oscar time, thirties of listeners.

If you’ve ever listened to our show for any reasonable period of time (say, about 5 minutes), you’ll likely have discovered that Scott and I thoroughly enjoy movies. From the most complicated and grueling bit of German Expressionism to the comedic stylings of Lloyd and Harry, we are like the obsessed fanboys of the medium of film. And with the 82nd Annual Academy Awards coming to a television set near you on Sunday March 7, we thought we’d share our thoughts, feelings and indulges with our listening public.

But we couldn’t do it alone. So we brought in David Berry, Vue Weekly arts writer and local freelance journalist.

In our Oscar episode, we’ll share our predictions, opinions (both informed and uninformed) and thoughts on the movies of 2009 that made the greatest impact. And we’ll even complain that Star Trek wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. Remember: fanboys.

Join us for the hilarity, the mystique, and the beeping out of swears! And be sure and share your thoughts in the comments as well.

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EDMONTON JOURNAL SPONSORS THE UNKNOWN STUDIO
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It’s true! After so much joking and tongue-in-cheek referrals to Edmonton’s newspaper of record on our show, the Edmonton Journal decided to put their money where our mouths are, by sponsoring the Unknown Studio for the month of February, and maybe even beyond. Particularly once they hear this show!

We’re helping EJ to promote their recently released Blackberry mobile launcher. You can check it out by clicking here on your Blackberry browser. If you have any comments about the mobile launcher or the Journal’s mobile site, let us know and we’ll pass it along!

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Download the MP3 of the Unknown Studio’s 18th episode

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