Khatsahlano! Music + Art Festival is Vancouver’s biggest free outdoor music event and they’re ramping up to bring a full line-up to six stages along West 4th this month. They’ll have over 30 of the city’s top talent at the 10-block street fair this month.
What A festival with entertainment, a massive garage sale, participation from merchants and artisans, and free live concerts. Where Along West 4th between Burrard and MacDonald in Kitsilano. When Saturday, July 21, 2012 starting just before 12:00pm and running until about 8:00pm.
On the Car 2 Go Stage at Balsam, you’ll find acts like Ladyhawk and Bend Sinister. The Vine Stage will have Portage and Main, 41st and Home, and Redgy Blackout. There’s also the No Limits Stage at Yew, the Maple Stage, Cypress Stage, and The Peak Burrard Main Stage. Peak artists such as The Zolas, The Matinee, Headwater, Kathryn Calder, Jeremy Fisher, and Ali Milner will all perform. Last but not least, don’t miss the Beyond Scarlett MacDonald Stage with Jordan Carrier, The Oh Wells, and more.
The festival is free to attend and be aware that there will be transit re-routes in place to ensure this is a fully pedestrian zone for the day. Get out and explore Kitsilano, West 4th, discover local artisans, and celebrate Vancouver music at Khatsahlano.
This week I am reviving my Blogger Profile series that began back in 2006. Whenever I am asked “How do you find good blogs to read?” I suggest that if you have one favourite blog already, check and see if they have a link list, blog roll, or “suggested reads” section. You’ll find the blogs recommended by someone you already enjoy and from there, you can keep jumping around a network of bloggers, discovering new favourites along the way.
Over the years I have profiled bloggers from the Northwest Territories to the Fraser Valley, anyone that interests me and that I hope will interest you as well. A few years ago I started asking a standard set of questions and I’ve sent these out to a few local bloggers for this week’s series. Click, share, explore, and enjoy.
How long has your blog been around?
Beyond the Rhetoric launched in 2006, but its story actually dates back to 1999. It started as an e-mail newsletter called Now That’s Entertainment, which eventually evolved into a Geocities website. In 2006, after finally acquiring my own domain, I “relaunched” Now That’s Entertainment as Beyond the Rhetoric and the rest is history. That backstory explains why my YouTube channel is “nte604,” for instance, instead of “BeyondTheRhetoric” or “MichaelKwan.”
What is your role/involvement (developer, owner, blogger etc.)
Owner. Operator. Blogger. Administrator. Sales Manager. Slave Driver.
What does your site do/what is it about
Beyond the Rhetoric is a mish-mash of several topics. The initial goal was simply to “tell it as it is” and “go beyond the rhetoric,” as it were. Today, many of the posts focus on entrepreneurship, working from home, life-work balance, and the business of freelancing. I also do a number of restaurant reviews and movie reviews, as well as posts on local events, grammar, writing style, personal development and inspiration.
What can people see, read, and do when visiting your blog?
I’ve made a commitment to having new content every day (except Saturdays) on the blog, so people can expect something new to read every time they visit. The comment section on each post is always open to feedback and discussion; some posts have sparked some interesting debate and I encourage everyone to put in their two cents. Even though Beyond the Rhetoric is my blog, I don’t want it to serve simply as my soapbox. It’s meant to be a platform for mature and intelligent conversation.
Why do you blog?
As a freelance writer, I’m always working to improve my craft. While I certainly get a lot of ongoing practice writing for my clients, Beyond the Rhetoric gives me a place where I can freely write about whatever comes to mind. It allows me to explore different topics while (hopefully) engaging with my audience. At the same time, it serves as an ongoing portfolio for my business, giving potential clients some insight into my typical writing style.
Even outside of my business, though, I feel that the blog gives me a platform where my voice can be heard. The great thing about the Internet is that the barrier to entry has been set quite low, granting regular people the ability to widely communicate with readers all around the world. I have regular traffic coming from places like Singapore and Australia; if it were not for the Internet and blogging, this would likely not be possible.
What is the ultimate goal for your site, how would you like to see it grow?
When I launched Beyond the Rhetoric in 2006, as mentioned above, I figured it would serve as a good ongoing portfolio of my writing. It would be a good passive and ongoing marketing tool. That’s true, but the bigger goal is to grow it in something that is bigger than just me. In the last little while, for instance, Aaron Koo and Lesley Chang have signed on to be regular contributors to the blog, in addition to the occasional guest post that I receive. As the blog grows, I hope that the number of “voices” on the blog grows with it.
While I certainly don’t foresee it becoming something like the Huffington Post, I would like to see Beyond the Rhetoric grow to become a more substantial part of my career. As much as I enjoy writing for my clients, there is just a greater sense of satisfaction when you know you’re writing for (or managing) something that is truly your own.
DeMerit will join the likes of David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), and Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls) on July 25th at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. The “2012 MLS All-Star First XI” will take on current UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea FC and the match will be the culmination of five days of festivities hosted by the home-field Philadelphia Union.
Alan Bates is a doctor in residency studying at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he has one year left until he finishes his doctorate in psychiatry. Bates who has studied the issue of homelessness and mental illness up close knew that something had to be done to help the most vulnerable. He became involved in the Vancouver Street Soccer League to try and provide some help to the most vulnerable population, some of have mental illnesses. The Vancouver Street Soccer League provides these individuals with a voice, while giving the participants an outlet to exercise in a safe and positive environment. The League has also provided its participants with a greater sense of community.
Bates truly got a once in a lifetime experience when he got to travel to Paris, France last year as Head Coach of the Canadian Men’s Street Soccer team for the Homeless World Cup. In Paris he saw first hand the positive impacts that the sport can have on the lives of individuals. “Street soccer is a great form of therapy for many people, as it shows them there are so many positive outlets out there,” noted Bates.
Earlier this season the Southsiders launched a retro scarf fundraising campaign to benefit the Vancouver Street Soccer League. John Knox, a founding member of the Southsiders told me: “The VSSL isn’t just a recreational league for people to kick a ball around – it’s a means of bringing people together to begin building self-esteem, confidence, health and hope. It’s all about empowering people to find their way to a better life.”
Fans can vote online for Alan Bates — vote now and vote often until 2:00pm PT July 13, 2012.
The PNE Concert Series is one of the most highly-anticipated entertainment events in Vancouver. Having successfully wrapped the first annual Summer Playland Festival (“SPF2012”), the PNE has just announced their own line-up for this summer that will include their Summer Night Concerts along with a new afternoon WestJet Family Fun Series concert stage.
Summer Night Concert Schedule
August 18: Heart
August 19: Emerson Drive
August 20: Juice Newton
August 21: Nick Carter
August 22: Allstar Weekend
August 23: Our Lady Peace
August 24: Rick Springfield
August 25: Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw
August 26: The Manhattan Transfer
August 27: Down with Webster
August 28: HANSON
August 29: Tower of Power
August 30: Chad Brownlee
August 31: Trooper
September 1: Prism
September 2: Lifehouse
September 3: Olivia Newton-John
WestJet Family Fun Series Schedule
August 22: Tyler Medeiros
August 23: Charlie (YTV’s The Next Star)
August 24: Star Trek Stars: Come and meet Brent Spiner and Marina Sirtis
August 25: Aloha Elvis! with Red Robinson
August 26: A Lamb Chop Celebration!
August 27: Victoria Duffield
August 28: Doodlebop’s Musical Playdate
August 29: Greyson Chance
August 30: Shawn Desman
August 31: Les Noces Gitanes
September 1: R5
September 2: Princess Jubilation! A Musical Coronation
The Summer Night Concerts will run every evening from August 18th to September 3rd at 8:00pm on the WestJet Concert Stage. The WestJet Family Fun Series kicks off August 22nd and will take place every afternoon at 2:00 pm on the WestJet Concert Stage as well. Entrance to the WestJet Family Fun Series and Summer Night Concerts is free with admission to the Fair.
Fair-goers can also check out the new Star Trek exhibition (on top of meeting Brent Spiner and Marina Sirtis) and a live Family Feud game show daily, along with staple entertainment and attractions. Follow the PNE on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Following a successful partnership in 2011 that raised $20,000 for KidSport BC, Triple O’s will launch a two week promotion for the same cause from June 25, 2012 to July 8, 2012.
The public will be able to contribute to their local KidSport chapter when ordering off the Triple O’s menu in any of the 29 participating locations. Funds raised during the two-week period will help kids with financial barriers experience the benefits of sport participation by covering the registration fees for a sport season of their choice.
Why KidSport? It provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers that prevent them from playing organized sport. Sport got me through some tough years as a child and as a teenager and I believe every child should be able to have the opportunity to play sports — and not let the cost of equipment or fees stand in their way.
In addition to donating in-store, guests can help raise money for KidSport by re-tweeting the Triple O’s Twitter account with the tag #donate4kids. All re-tweets received TODAY will equal a $1 donation to KidSport (up to $5,000).
To help get the word out, I have 20 burger combo gift cards to give away (value $10). Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post listing your fondest sports memory (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT & @TripleOs will donate $1 to @KidSport http://bit.ly/N0YmZf & enter you to win a gc via @Miss604 http://ow.ly/c4aeV #donate4kids
Enter to win a gift card and donate to a great local cause all in one shot! Since today’s the day for the re-tweet campaign, I’m only running this contest until midnight tonight. I will then draw 20 winners for each of the burger combo gift cards.
