Sure, it’s a promotional vehicle for Starbucks. But it’s also a way to raise awareness and funding to fight AIDS in Africa. And it makes me smile like a fool. What more, really, do you need from a viral video? The video in question is a four-minute compilation of people around the world singing “All […]

Yeah, I know, Christmas is over and done. But if you can stomach one more cheery holiday video, check out this great YouTube clip of a surprise dance performance at the Lisbon airport by the staff of TAP Portugal and Aeroportos de Portugal. If check-in agents at my local airport came leaping over the desks […]

Looking for an inside glimpse into some of Ottawa’s liveliest neighbourhoods? Check out the submissions to the Picture It Downtown photo contest, which focused (pardon the pun) on the Glebe, Wellington West and other cool neighbourhoods. I wish I’d found out about this contest while it was still running–I would have loved to have entered!

I just got back from a European trip that included two stops in the Netherlands. And, once again, I’ve found myself captivated by Dutch cycling culture. Not only are there dedicated bike paths just about everywhere; there are also huge bike garages at many railway stations, where you can have a mechanic tune up your […]

It’s a doozy of a title: The Third Tower Up from the Road: A Compilation of Columns from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency’s Kevin Dolgin Tells You About Places You Should Go. And the cover photo of the Great Wall of China is a bit misleading. Yes, there’s a funny, lovely column in the collection about Dolgin’s […]

Every year, the Society of American Travel Writers runs an online auction to raise money for its programs. This year’s auction is online now, and items include a two-day stay at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and a six-night Maine Windjammer cruise. Depending on the bidding, you could save a bundle off retail prices. Check out […]

For 20 years, I used single-lens reflex (SLR) film cameras, but I’ve been using various point-and-shoots since about 2002, waiting for the price of digital SLRs to come down. Recently, the wait ended. And now, as the proud new owner of a DSLR, I’m avid to reacquaint myself with all the bells and whistles an […]

OK, this is THE coolest thing I’ve stumbled across on the Internet all week: a Finnish bhangra band! According to its website, Shava “is guaranteed to be the world’s only Finnish bhangra group.” I can’t argue with that. I first came across them in an article chronicling their recent appearance on a Finnish TV network. […]

Ever wanted to run your own home exchange site? Do you have an artistic bent? Montreal-based ArtStudioExchanges.com is for sale (along with its French-language version, TrocAtelier.com). Aimed at artists and art teachers who need somewhere to stay for a vacation or sabbatical, the home-swap site is for sale because the owner–a full-time artist and picture […]

Okay, I’ll admit that part of the reason I was excited about visiting Gibsons, British Columbia, was the chance to check out the place where a hoary old CBC-TV series called “The Beachcombers” was filmed. Weirdly, I didn’t even like the show when it aired from 1972 to 1990. It’s just that Canada has precious […]