Third Tuesdays

`Meetup` & greetup

LAST night, I attended my very first Third Tuesdays meetup event, at Bar Wellington. Third Tuesdays is a free monthly Meetup event for people within the PR and advertising industry to attend, with the opportunity to learn more about the ever-evolving industries through speaker sessions, and to meet and mingle with others who share the same interests.

I arrived with my friend to a quaint little bar on the corner of Wellington and Portland, the top floor already buzzing with conversation. Not knowing what to expect, I sat quietly to the side and observed. There were many people in attendance, and it was pretty close quarters. Soon, we got approached by the organizer Joseph Thornley, and conversations sprouted amongst us and the other attendees continuously for the rest of the evening. I met some pretty interesting people, and even exchanged contacts (SIDE NOTE: if you've made your way onto my little blog site, I wonder if you noticed my little error on my card! Mistakes happen, right? Right? Ha ha!)

All in all, it was a very good evening, and I can definitely see a lot of potential in this group as a useful networking tool. I'm glad I found out about it, with me starting at Humber Lakeshore in January for the PR postgrad certificate program and all.

Time to browse my Meetup account for upcoming events to RSVP to!

One more note: there is a social media conference happening on November 15th, organized by Gary Schlee, a PR professor at Centennial College and a fellow Third Tuesdays member. For more information about this event and to attend, visit http://talkischeap.pbwiki.com/

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The Mighty Canadian Dollar

The bandwagon continues to get filled

hollywoodscoop.com

THE buzz on the Canadian vs. US dollar continues to grow. Model Giselle Bündchen has announced that she would prefer to sign contracts in any currency other than USD$--even CAD$! Times certainly have changed.

Giselle is estimated to be the world's highest paid model by Forbes magazine.

Source: MSN Sympatico Entertainment

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Petit Four Bakery

"Small oven"

TORONTO chef Gordon Mackie (famed to Soul of the Vine and Far Niente) has opened a "Dine and dash" concept cafe in the heart of the business district, which caters to the busy lifestyle of all around. This little bakery boasts always fresh and healthy food for people on-the-go, allowing for fast and affordable lunchtime dining for all those who call Bay St their home during the work week. A few tasty menu items include focaccia bread sandwiches in 4, 6, and 18-inches, hearty soups loaded into coffee cups, and signature Petit Four desserts that run for only $3 each! You have your choice of four different desserts, who would've guessed. You can even choose from several different combos, which allow for ample sampling of the menu, depending on your craving.

If you have been to Mackie's Soul of the Vine, then you will have no problem finding the bakery--they are sharing space--but if you are unfamiliar to the area, Petit Four Bakery is located at 187 Bay Street, Commerce Court South, Concourse Level. They also provide catering for any of you business professionals looking to impress at your next lunch meeting.

Bon a-petit!

Source: Sweetspot.ca

toronto.com

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$1CAD = $1.038USD

...as of 9A.M. ET today!

THE Canadian Dollar has been doing very well lately, surpassing the US Dollar and creating quite a stir throughout North America.

Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, has been working with retail industry representatives towards lower prices in stores to reflect the now stronger Canadian Dollar. So far, Zellers, and most recently Walmart, have agreed to slash prices.

"The Wal-Mart release cites a letter it sent to suppliers on Aug. 1, 2006, which noted that the strengthening currency provided "'unanticipated inflation of profit margins among our suppliers - and an opportunity to lower prices for Canadians.'"

However, Flaherty is continuing to pursue lower prices on a broader retail scale, in hopes that it will keep the Canadian Dollar on its native soil--with greater buying power, Canadians have been flocking to the States to shop, since price tags on Canadian merchandise has not changed, and the price difference on the tags between the Canadian and US prices is now making more evident the unfairness that we face.

Source:The Canadian Press
CBC.ca

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"A PEN IN ANOTHER CITY"

Another point on the scoreboard for Canadian accomplishments is made.

NOT only has she already achieved much fame from her writing works--which include novels and poetry--Margaret Atwood of Ottawa, Ontario, has created a marriage between the world of writing with technology. Atwood's LongPen technology has eliminated time and travel by allowing an author to attend book signings through cyberspace. Baffled? Let me explain. The LongPen is comprised of the use of a computer, a screen, an electronic writing tablet, a webcam, a mic, and a mechanical arm equipped with a real ink pen. At one end, the author can speak to, and see, his or her fan, and vice versa occurs on the other side. The author can then write a message or autorgraph on the writing tablet, and the mechanical arm (which is on location of the fan's side of the connection) will transmit exactly what was written, using a real ink pen!

This technology allows anyone to meet with anyone else for signings (not just for book authors--think hollywood and sports celebs as well) from the comfort of the signer's own home, eliminating the need for travel. Marketers of the LongPen boasts that this be a "Green" solution, reducing greenhouse gases from less plane travel. The LongPen technology also allows for more signings to occur in more locations, all in less time.

The most recent media coverage of the use of the LongPen was on Monday night at The World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto, where Conrad Black was able to attend his book signing for "The Invincable Quest: the Life of Richard Milhous Nixon" from the comfort of his Florida home. If you would like to read media coverage of this event, visit CTV.ca Black uses Atwood's LongPen at virtual book signing.


Margaret Atwood demonstrates how the LongPen works.




See more of the LongPen in action.






For more information about Margaret Atwood, visit http://www.randomhouse.com/features/atwood/author.html
For the LongPen official website, visit http://www.longpen.com/index.html

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