Issue two of Winnipeg’s newest lifestyle magazine is now online. The latest issue features an Alice in Wonderland inspired fashion photo shoot, interviews with some big names in bloggerland, a hockey hottie (Beautiful Man), Winnipeg’s own golden girl (Talent & Tits), a brand new feature (Bucket List), and one girl’s story about a truly amazing adventure (Life Stories).

Check it out at: SANDBOXMAG.COM

And while you’re at it…
- BECOME A FAN: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandbox-Magazine/180372726104?ref=ts
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Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen. We work with some of the most talented writers, photographers, stylists, makeup artists, designers, etc., etc., and we couldn’t do it without you’re support, creativity and enthusiasm!

Special thanks to our Internet sensations. We can’t get enough of their blogs, and neither can the thousands that follow them:
- Andrew Bravener
- Davey Wavey
- Keo Necra
- Willis Hip (Vinyl & Vodka)

So much more to come! Stay tuned!

The reason why I’m especially proud of this video is because I filmed and edited it in less than 12 hours. It was due on the Friday, and I was busy until the Thursday at noon, so I literally only had a 12 hour window to make it happen, since the school (where I edited the video) closed at 12 a.m. and I had class in the morning. I called my mom and texted my friends, looking for anyone who had been affected by cancer that I could interview. Then, I called my sister to find out where I could find bikers. Conveniently there was a bike group that met at Assiniboine Park on Thursdays. So, I went there and asked if I could film them, then, sat in the back of my friend Courtney’s Explorer (well, it was more like hanging out of the back) and filmed the bikers as we looped around the park again and again.

I didn’t get the job … But on the bright side, the Chase went on and was really successful. For those who don’t know, Chase the Cure is a national bike ride from Victoria to St. Johns, that began on May 14, 2009. The purpose of this journey was to raise awareness and education for those directly and indirectly affected by cancer and generate funds for the Never Alone Foundation.

During the cross-Canada bike tour, Wes Bauer (the man behind the movement) stopped in nearly 70 cities and raised more than $70,000. Check out some videos from the cross-Canada tour on the official Chase the Cure YouTube page and check out the video I made below:

It’s minus 25 degrees celsius on a daily basis here in Winnipeg. So walking to work doesn’t really put you in the best of moods. That’s why, while on the way to work today, I started thinking about all the things that annoy me, make me angry, piss me off, or just make me sick. Enjoy!

1) People who spit on the sidewalks. I literally stepped over at least six gobs of spit… ALAalalalalala!!! GROSS! I just don’t see the need for it. Why don’t you just swallow your own saliva. Or, if you have to hawk up something disgusting, find a trash can. It’s so, so repulsive.

2) Getting a parking ticket, in addition to a fine, for being towed. Why do they have to be so harsh? You’d think an $80 tow fine would be enough to make me never do it again. Is the $50 ticket on top of that really necessary? I got towed last week for parking in a spot that I didn’t realize was no parking between 3:30-5:30 p.m. Well, isn’t that a nice holiday surprise? BAH-HUMBUG!

3) Relationships that move too fast. I may be biased, since I’m a lonely, dried up, old spinster, but I just don’t understand couples that jump head first into the deep-end when they get into a relationship. Moving in together after one month? Making a JOINT FACEBOOK account. WHAT?! I actually just saw a Facebook page called “OMG, I love you! It’s been two weeks, but let’s be together forever” LOL. Enough said!

4) People who don’t wash their hands after using the washroom. I will NEVER understand this. What could possibly be going through these people’s heads as they walk out of a stall and right out of the washroom (sick sick sick). No, those aren’t extra urinals, they’re SINKS! To wash your disgusting, germy hands! BUHHHH!!!

5) PDA (public displays of affection). I’m not against all PDA, I think it’s cute when couples are holding hands in public, or showing their love to eachother (especially when they’re gay couples! It just warms my heart!) But how do people think it’s appropriate to suck face in the middle of the mall, a restaurant, a small gathering of friends, etc. I actually just came here for the nachos, not to watch you nibble your boyfriends neck and paw at his chest. UGH! GET A ROOM!

Well, the holidays are coming up. So I figured it’d be better to vent and let it all out, then to bottle it up and explode like the Holiday Grinch. Thanks for listening

Have a safe and warm holiday season, and all the best to you and yours

It’s called Power Balance, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting its arrival since seeing it this summer, while in Long Beach, California (Shout out to my dear cousin Lindsay for sending them to me). So what is Power Balance? Well, according to the website:

“Power Balance is performance technology that uses holograms embedded with frequencies that react positively with your body’s natural energy field to improve balance, strength, and flexibility. When the hologram comes in contact with your body’s energy field, it allows your body to interact with the natural, beneficial frequency stored within the hologram. This results in improved energy flow throughout your body.”

What does that even mean? It sounds like a bunch of sci-fi, space-age garbage! But it’s actually for real. I was first introduced to this product while in California this summer. One of Lindsay’s friends had the band and it instantly became the hit of the party, everyone wanted to test out the mysterious powers. I did the three Power Balance tests and they actually worked! I was sold. All of a sudden I wanted Power Balance everything.

But don’t take my word for it. Listen to the team of sexy sports players they have reppin the brand, including the one and only SHAQ!!! Um, I don’t know why I got so excited about that… it must be my improved energy flow!

Anyways, visit the official website for the full Power Balance test video, which explains what’s going on and how it works.

But to get an idea of what it’s like (and how I reacted when I did the same test) check out the video below.

Jeff’s Wish List

Men’s Gallatin Ugg Boot (size 9, black)
Men’s Wrangell Ugg Boot (size 9, brown)

Remote car starter

Design Collection Revealed: CS3
Web Collection Revealed: CS3

SIGG bottle (0.6 L, Keith Harring design)
SIGG bottle (0.6 L, “Friends don’t let friends” design)
SIGG bottle (1.0 L, Black Panther retro design)

Project Runway: Season 4
Project Runway: Season 5
Girls Next Door: Season 4
Girls Next Door: Season 5
Six Feet Under: The Complete Series Gift Set
Harry Potter: Years 1-5 Limited Edition Gift Set

The play begins when two young women arrive in a British small town. Their names are not their own and they don’t declare their ages. When one of the women confesses she is a vampire who has survived the last 200 years by drinking human blood, everyone thinks she is mad. Then, people start disappearing. Are Eleanor and Claire vampires? Or are they troubled young women on the run?

“The script asks a lot of the cast,” explains director Raye Anderson. “The playwright recognizes the creative intelligence of young actors by creating complex, layered characters. It’s very ambiguous, and we’ve had fun figuring out how to interpret it.”

PTE’s Young Company consists of a cast of 11 advanced students, ages 14-18, who meet twice weekly, plus rehearsals and performances, to hone their craft and prepare for live performances in the Colin Jackson Studio Theatre. The focus of the company is to encourage students to further their talents and skills, generate and encourage new work, and develop production knowledge. Admission to the Company is by audition and interview.

Written by award-winning writer Moira Buffini, A Vampire Story takes a witty, dark and shocking look at truth, identity, and humanity’s endless need to consume. A Vampire Story has recently been announced for adaptation from Number 9 Films and re-titled Byzantium.

Show times for A Vampire Story are Friday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 12 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students/seniors or $8 for adults and are available through the PTE box office (942 5483) and at the door (3rd floor, Portage Place).

Prairie Theatre Exchange is a professional theatre company in the heart of Downtown Winnipeg. PTE is one of the largest professional arts organizations in Manitoba with an excellent national reputation. PTE School has been providing quality theatre education for over 37 years.

I wasn’t planning on posting until after school finished, but after seeing all of this and considering what happened earlier today, I can’t help but comment…

It’s a strange coincidence. Today, Braden and I had a very hateful and homophobic encounter with someone who was leaving rude comments on the SANDBOX Facebook page. Then, as I was cruising through Perez Hilton’s latest updates, I read his post about the anti-gay legislation that is being considered in Uganda, and some of the terrible comments people were leaving on that story.

First, let’s start with the Facebook message that a reader from SANDBOX magazine sent, after being asked to stop posting rude comments on the Facebook page:

“Wow way to have a hard on for one of my buddies. Maybe if you weren’t so gay i would take your criticism seriously. You probably consider yourself a real man even though you take it in the ass balls deep. Way to rip the name off a snowboard vid company, real original. Oh and for the record, your a pillow biter and i bet u love rimming assholes queerbag. And ill write all the comments that i deem necessary. Go fuck yourself (not literally, but i bet u wish u could) and have a nice day.”

Next, let’s look at some of the comments from the Uganda story on PerezHilton.com:

- “Take note you fat disgusting scumbag, one day we will get that type of legislation here. I can’t wait.”

- “The world is way over populated – may as well start with the gays.”

- “I read this twice and failed to see the problem?”

- “HIV is a terrible thing this is sure to slow the spread. You gotta do what you gotta do”

- “yes! they should bring that law to America and Canada!”

- “to bad you dont live in Uganda, notice i didnt say to bad you dont have HIVs, because you more than like do perez.”

- “death is obviously ridiculous but homosexuality should be treated as a mental health disorder and not promoted or glamorized”

- “Too many young people think it’s COOL to be gay. That’s the truth.”

- “because being gay isnt normal or healthy..its a sickness that you can overcome….its like quitting smoking…you wernt born a smoker, were you?”

- “That’s actually not so far-fetched that some of their kids would ‘turn gay.’ No, I’m sure they aren’t really gay, but many children copy what they see, and if all they see of our culture is all the publicity about gays then it wouldn’t surprise me that they wouldn’t want to.”

I am beyond appalled by the fact that there are people out there who are SO hateful and ignorant. I just don’t understand why people care enough about what me and other GLBT identified people are doing with our lives that they need to impose marriage bans (California) or imprisonment and/or death (Uganda), or protest and campaign against gays. Furthermore, I don’t get why people who are anti-gay bother readying content that is clearly gay influenced (especially in the case of Perez).

When I read stuff like this I can’t help but be overcome with sadness for the fact that no matter what I do in life, no matter what any GLBT identified person does – to follow their dreams, to make something of themselves, to help others - the mere fact that we’re gay is enough for people to harbour and spread hate. No wonder there are so many people who will never come out and are ashamed of who they really are and will never be happy. It’s just so, so sad. And I’m so scared for humanity.

I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if there is anything that can be done. But I just want to talk about it in hopes that people might read this and stand up against people who are, not only blatantly homophobic, but people who are racist or discriminate against others for any reason. The guy who wrote the first message has a girlfriend, and I can only hope she would not be OK with the things he said, and would stand up to him. If you hear your friends, your family, and/or a classmate saying hateful things punch them out say something. It’s the only chance we have at making some sort of difference and stopping the unnecessary, and unfortunately, all too common discrimination and hate that happens on a daily basis.

On a brighter note, lesbian news anchor Rachel Maddow of the highly successful MSNBC talk show The Rachel Maddow Show is doing good things to educate people. The only downside is, her viewers aren’t the ones that need the educating. Check out the videos below where she tears into Richard Cohen, author of “gay healing” book Coming Out Straight. Watch Part 1 and Part 2.

I love her.
And the photo below.
And accepting people for who they are. Can we maybe try that for a little while, instead, and see how things go?

It’s here!!! And I couldn’t be more excited about it! It’s the culmination of months of preparation and work, and the result of the dedication and support of so many amazing people. I’m so proud to introduce SANDBOX magazine.

Check us out, invite your friends to join our Facebook page, and spread the word about Winnipeg’s newest fashion, lifestyle, entertainment, and culture magazine.

Online - http://www.sandboxmag.com/
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandbox-Magazine/180372726104?ref=ts
Twitter – http://twitter.com/sandboxmag
YouTube –  http://www.youtube.com/user/SandboxMag

*Special thanks to each and every person that was involved in the first issue, all those that will be involved in upcoming issues, and especially to our amazing web designer Melissa Krawetz for the gorgeous website!

Last night I attended the opening of It’s A Wonderful Life at Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC) and it was actually really great, surprisingly. I don’t know why I’m surprised. Maybe it’s because I had never actually seen the movie (only heard the story) and had no idea what to expect (especially since it was being performed as a “radio play” on stage). But it was a really great show and I think a lot of my CreComm crew would appreciate it, as I did, on many different levels.

First of all, they incorporate advertising into the show in such an fun and interesting way. Since the show is presented as a radio play, they follow the same format a real radio play would, with a “word from our sponors” break every 30 minutes or so. During this time, six of the cast members gather around the microphone and sing a ’40s jingle about a local, Winnipeg business (including Salisbury House, Peak of the Market, McNally Robinson, and Polo Park). The jingles were so fun and I would be so curious to know if the businesses actually paid for those placements, since they were a million times more effective than an ad in the program.

Next, as they would for a real radio drama, the play featured a real foley sound artist on stage, creating the sound effects for the entire play. It was so fascinating to watch him create these amazing sound effects, often with items you wouldn’t normally think to use. I especially have an appreciation for the craft after doing a little bit of Foley work for my Grinch film and realizing how hard it actually is! The foley artist for the show was really incredible.

Finally, these actors were so great at changing their voices to fit the many different characters they were representing. The original movie features more than 60 characters, whereas the play featured 12 actors, on stage together the entire time. They used exaggerated facial expressions, body gestures, and different characters to represent each character and it was so fun to watch.

I thought the story was a little hard to follow at times, but I think if i watched the movie and then went back to see it for the second time it would all become a lot more clear. Which is what I intend to do before it ends its run on Dec. 19, 2009. Be sure to check it out!