Smart Savvy

We thought it was time to resurrect the Smokin Recruiter

.

We interview a lot of people and fortunately none have been as ‘protracted’ as this one –although some have come close. This is a team favourite and we debated whether or not to post it. In the end, humor won out over political correctness. Thoughts?

This definitely deserves a ‘hats off’ … hard to take your eyes off the screen. All in all this rocks the house. It’s worth the 60 seconds to watch. Thanks to @kasiafink for sharing.

This made me laugh. Maybe you’ve met this guy? Maybe you work with him?

I will maintain that the first time I saw the Susan Boyle video, I noted that she looked exactly like Jay Leno. Apparently I am not the only one. Been under a rock? Here is the first original-  be prepared to get a little bit teary. We at the Smart Savvy office have been known to get a bit emotional after this one.

I found a collection of these facts from the site Want To Feel Old?

Let us know in the comments which ones make you feel the most old.

1) The film ‘Back to the Future 2’ is set five and a half years from now. Buy stock in Hoverboard!
2) The Macarena came out 14 years ago; August 22, 1995 to be exact
3) Ghostbusters came out a quarter of a century ago
4) The Matrix came out ten years ago today
5) Quantum Leap’s first episode aired twenty years ago. Also, it was set in the year 1999. That’s right, Quantum    Leap was set ten years ago. How science has failed us.

Wow, I guess time flies…

.

An inside look into the 2009 Juno Awards in Vancouver. From the street party, to the after-parties, to the actual broadcast, learn what worked and what didn’t.

HOT #1: After-parties

As if we were all ’round the fire in Grandma’s backyard, Saturday night kicked off at Richard’s on Richards, hosting the Gibson Guitar party. Led by Gibson Guitars house band, they opened up the stage for other musicians who wanted to collaborate. Among the many, Ed Robertson and Tyler Stewart of the Barenaked Ladies took over and rocked a few numbers including Maestro Fresh Wes‘, “Let your Backbone Slide.” Sunday night, Warner Music and Flare Magazine held a party at Bryan Adams’ studio, The Warehouse, featuring amazing appies, an open bar, and quite the line-up of ‘jammers.’ I watched Michael Buble, Divine Brown, and Ron Sexsmith belt a couple tunes together, joined by newcomer Ali Milner.

NOT #1: The Not-so-Outdoor Street  Party

I know we live in Vancouver, and I know it rains, and I also know it can be grueling to watch a concert in the rain, but when I first rounded the corner at Granville and Robson Street, I wasn’t wowed.  I expected a huge festival-like stage, inviting for people to crowd around and join in.  Instead, the artists were jammed and walled into small tents, making the ‘outdoor experience’ not-so-outdoor.  Of course, most acts were amazing, and the WestJet Stage featured some amazing talent, it just would have been great for Vancouver to enjoy a bigger-scale experience.  I mean, come on, we all know how to maneuver an umbrella by now.

HOT #2: The Broadcast (Russel Peters’ dancing abilities)

If you didn’t know Russel Peters could dance, you do now.  And he’s diverse, too. A little south east influence, a little hip-hop, he’s multifaceted. Aside from his crazy antics about Anne Murray’s unreleased sex tape (or lack thereof) and bantering with Buble on screen, featured were some really great performances.  A few fan favorites included Bryan Adams and Kathleen Edwards’ acoustic version of Walk On By and City & Colour’s Dallas Green with Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip had one of the best performances of the night.  It was a great mix of some big-label acts like Nickelback but also profiling more indie-influenced, new generation music like Serena Ryder, communicating the diverse collection of talent in Canada.

NOT #2: The Oh-so-Small Gala Dinner Ballroom

Yes, dinner was good.  Yes, Nikki Yanofsky blew us away. Hosted at the Westin Bayshore, the gala was good. That’s it.  Could we not have picked something a little bigger to host that many people? It was cramped and unelaborate. Servers leaning over tables.  Passers-by squeezing in between chairs. I’m not sure how many butts grazed past the back of my neck throughout the evening, but I was done within 5 minutes. It proved even more challenging for those making it up to the stage for an award.  I’m happy for everyone that won. I’m glad to have watched Sarah McLachlan receive her humanitarian award. Yes, I’m being pretentious, but yet again, I expected more.

All in all, the HOTs outweigh the NOTs and Vancouver did a fabulous job with this years 2009 Juno Awards, shedding ourselves of the ‘unfun ‘ west coast city. We showed up this past weekend.  Hats off to you, Vancouver.

.

Periodically we stumble on something that needs to be shared with others.  Kudos to Samsung for such an innovative approach to advertising.  Bigger kudos to those sheep farmers for how they have made their ‘work’ an art form!

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” - Walt Disney