We arrived in San Francisco yesterday evening and checked into our wonderful boutique Kimpton Hotel (full review will be posted when we’ve checked out).
Since we haven’t had too much time to explore yet, here are some interesting Vancouver/San Francisco history tidbits to kick start the coverage of my trip.
I noticed an update on Twitter from @EcoPup, makers of pet clothing, about the kick off of Vancouver Pet Fashion Week. Immediately I thought this was something worth looking into and it turns out that this Sunday, May 31st, festivities will indeed be underway at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
“Designer-dressed model dogs will strut their stuff on the “cat” walk in the latest fashion collections. Followed by a pet competition for best dressed dog in a fun parade. Bring your dressed up Vancouver fashionistas and they could win terrific prizes for model attitude.”
Pet Fashion Weeks have been around for a few years however this is the first for Vancouver. The event is free and open to the public from 12:00pm – 5:00pm and donations to support animal shelters will be accepted. Sunday is also Dog Day in Yaletown down at Cooper’s Park from 11:00 – 2:00pm.
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.
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.
