I remember the original liquor store that closed down on Robson, between Bidwell and Denman. It was supposed to re-open with the rebuilding of a Safeway but due to delays in that project, the liquor store building lay vacant for years. When the new Safeway was finally built on Denman and Robson, welcoming ground-floor tenants such as CIBC and Vancity, the BC Liquor Store wasn’t far behind. We walked by today and it seems open if not very close to opening. It will definitely be convenient when walking home from Safeway and wanting to grab a nice Pinot Noir to accompany dinner (although I can already see the line ups forming for fireworks nights).

As a side note, the CIBC will host a grand opening BBQ celebration Saturday May 30th where you can enter to win an autographed Trevor Linden jersey. Rumor has it there will be a magician and caricaturist on site as well.

About a month ago, when I was chatting with on Twitter about cars, a contact from GM Canada, with whom I had previously corresponded, fired me a note and offered me a Malibu for review. John and I don’t own a car but it’s one of those purchases that’s constantly in the back of our minds so we’re certainly not opposed to seeing what options are out there.

We had the 2009 Chevy Malibu 2LT for one week and did a bit of city driving as well as a quick trip on the freeway to visit Duane out in Chilliwack. The size of the car was perfect – it wasn’t too big and since my last car was a sedan I enjoy having enough room for passengers plus camping or snowboarding gear.

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My first blogger get-together was in the summer of 2006 and in 2007 John and I attended an official Vancouver Blogger Meetup. Since that time the group has evolved, welcomed many new faces, and ushered in my friend Raul as the organizer (with Isabella still being an active member). It’s a great way to learn about tools and tips, while interacting in person with those you might only know from an online space.

Throughout the years its kept the same casual meet & greet style, which is always very welcoming (and fun) however this month they’re shaking things up. I spoke with Raul to learn a bit more about what can be expected this time around.

“I had received a lot of feedback from people about varying the format and having speakers/discussions, so I figured I could ask Lorraine, Shane and Colleen – with whom I had already talked about speaking on social media etiquette – to speak in a panel format,” said Raul. “I wanted to provide a different feel, and it’s sort of an experiment.”

The panel will host a discussion while offering various points of view when it comes to etiquette online.

Etiquette is frequently seen as a constraining set of behavioral rules, delineating what behaviors are appropriate within a certain social arena and which are not. But in a context of online multiverses, each with its own culture and demographic, what is truly the “right” thing, and how can we know it? Culture clashes and rapid evolution of social norms are ubiquitous in social media: why? What is appropriate etiquette? Is it portable across platforms? What are the ‘right’ kind of rules and norms in an unruly arena such as the online social media world? The participants in this panel will engage in a conversation about what constitutes etiquette, whether or not it relates to a moral imperative, whether it emerges as self-appointed leaders create specific sets of norms and discuss the evolution of etiquette in emergent social media. The implications for codes of behavior and etiquette in Web 2.0 are also discussed.

The May 2009 meetup will take place Thursday, May 28th (@6:00pm) at the St. Regis Hotel and everyone is welcome to attend (blogger or not). I’ll be off to San Francisco that day but will look forward to a recap that is often generously provided by Jan Karlsberg.

John comes from a proud line of Macintosh users and in 2007 he converted me into an Apple fan girl — and I haven’t looked back. Recently we needed to upgrade our arsenal (you know since having a Powerbook, Macbook, and iMac just wasn’t enough) and were on the market for a shiny new Macbook Pro for our business.

I had purchased my Macbook from one of the big box stores and I do cherish the official Apple Store experience however since we are a local company, I thought it would be best to support another Vancouver-based business with this decision. As a result when Simply Computing added me on Twitter (@Simplydotca) I took it as a sign and decided to pay them a visit at their Broadway location.

The staff at Simply Computing was friendly, courteous, and well… they’re all Mac geeks like us. They know the product (since it’s their specialty) and even while I was there an associate was talking about how he became Apple Certified for Aperture. They’re the largest independent Apple dealer in BC (with seven locations around the province) and have been in business of providing Apple products and care since 1983. In 2008 they were also awarded Apple’s Commitment to Excellence Award for outstanding service.

I ended up getting a 15″ Macbook Pro for sixty4media that will be John‘s on-the-go machine. It’s everything we knew we were getting into and more since Simply tossed in a copy of Undercover for free (which every customer gets, not just us). This software helps retrieve a stolen Macbook by tracking and locating the computer (kind of like this, but in a more intended way).

To be honest, the Simply Computing retail location on Broadway isn’t “sexy” like the Apple Store by any means, but what they lack in decor they make up for in service, customer & technical support, and product knowledge. Aside from the Vancouver location you can visit them in White Rock and Langley (I hear the Langley store in Willowbrook is pretty fancy) as well as Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops and Thompson Rivers University.

We’re very pleased with our purchase and also with the fact that should we need service on any of our Apple products, it can be taken care of expeditiously at a local location.

Disclosure: I was not paid to write this review and we paid for the Macbook

I heard about this in the news years ago but every time I walk into the Starbucks on Robson and Bidwell I am reminded of the heroic act and sacrifice made by Anthony McNaughton.

In January of 2000, Tony McNaughton was the manager of the Starbucks when a man (who was the disgruntled ex-husband of an employee) entered the coffee shop wielding a butcher knife to attack his ex-wife.

McNaughton fended off the man and told his employee to run, while he then got stabbed. The woman involved crossed the street to call for help and McNaughton was later taken to St Paul’s Hospital for his wounds, and passed away. The perpetrator was charged with second degree murder. The story made headlines across the globe, including a write up on the BBC’s website since McNaughton was a Northern Irish immigrant.

His selfless act, basically saving the life of his employee who would have been dead in the hands of this man otherwise, is commemorated by way of a painting (by Joe Average) and plaque at the Starbucks. I also discovered a Tony McNaughton Memorial Fund founded at the Canadian Women’s Foundation, by the Starbucks Coffee Company. The Fund is used for violence prevention projects in Western Canada.

UPDATE

October 2014: This West End location of Starbucks is closing. The Hero painting in Tony’s honour will be moved to the Starbucks on the corner of Robson and Denman.

The Robson and Bidwell Starbucks felt more like a neighbourhood coffee shop than any other I’ve know in Vancouver, and this was because of its staff. I hope many of them stick around (there is the Starbucks at Jervis and Robson as well as the Denman and Robson location) since they were truly what made the neighbourhood great. Tony’s spirit lives on.