Mashed Thoughts

West Coast Geeks vs Nerds ended off the year with their sweetest AND most malicious episode featuring Carebears vs My Little Pony and Loki vs Tyrion. This last episode of this year was held on Tuesday, November 12th, 2013 at Electric Owl. As always, the show was hilarious! Plenty of laugh out loud moments and outrageously funny surprises.

Chris "MooMan" Nyarady, creator and host of West Coast Geeks vs Nerds looking dapper in his 8-bit bow tie and sporting a thick bushy mustache for Movember.

Team Geeks representing the Care Bears, with their appropriate rainbow coloured shirts,

and on the other side, Team Nerds representing My Little Ponies.

The debate with peppered with friendly arguments and politeness.

And lots of hugs.

Lots,

and lots of hugs. It was so sweet and cute; I could have puked (Just kidding!).

Even rebuttal tokens were extra cute!

In the end, the crowd decided that it was the Care Bears who best taught us how to love. It was very close call (personally, I thought the Ponies had a better points) but everyone is a winner in MooMan's eyes! A lot more hugging ensued.

In between debates, the costume contest was held. But what's this?! Before the winner was chosen,

Loki rushed the stage and made out with Thor! Yep.

Guess who won the contest? Really, there was no contest after THAT stunt!

The main debate pit Loki against Tyrion to answer the question: who is the master manipulator?

Team Geeks represented Loki. They had Loki on their team and also Tony Stark. Aaand I don't know who that other guy is.

Team Nerds represented Tyrion from Game of Thrones.

Hahah I loved Team Nerd's Spoiler Alert signs.

But more so I was in love with the cast of characters on Team Geeks side! These guys played a spot on portrayal of Loki and Tony Stark.

The guy even talked like Tony Stark.

Team Geek's rebuttal token was a mini Mjölnir.

Tits and wine was the rebuttal token for Team Nerds.

Hilarious. Rounds and rounds of shots and drinks continuously landed in front of Tony Stark.

MooMan decides to take one for himself!

I thought there was no contest. Team Loki staughtered Team Tyrion.

They even had their own crowd worshippers!

Vs. the ONE Tyrion worshipper.

And of course, Loki had to celebrate his victory with another kiss.

Amazing show! One of the best, I've seen!

West Coast Geeks and Nerds will resume in January with Episode 13: Who's the Boss? Tickets are only $10 and they also offer offer season passes to dedicated fans at the cost of $50. They will also be moving venues to Vancouver Fan Club!

Friday, November 15, 2013

The Ripple Effect: How Our Community Eats - by donation
11am - 2pm
STUDENT UNION BUILDING (SUB) UBC Point Grey Campus
Join Sprouts for the weekly Community Eats. While lining up for your scrumptious balanced vegan meal watch the video on how the weekly "by-donation" lunch gets made. Near Sprouts in the SUB, 6138 Student Union Boulevard

The Ripple Effect: The Stormwater Theatre Show
12pm - 1pm
UBC Point Grey Campus, Stormwater feature, near the Bookstore.
It’s not just the pretty water feature you walk by on your way to class. Doug Doyle invites you into his theatre to hear the story about the amazing new stormwater feature and how UBC is using stormwater as a resource on campus.

Robson Square Ice Skating
Nov 15th at 1pm until the end of Feb 2014.
The Robson Square Ice Rink will be opened on November 15th, 2013 at 1pm until the end of February 2014. This winter, renew a classic Vancouver tradition and enjoy some old-fashioned fun. Come celebrate winter in style with free skating in the heart of downtown Vancouver. It’s a magical place to enjoy the holidays with your friends, family and loved ones.

Old Navy Robson Grand Opening
Fri and Sat (Ryan Kesler signing on Sat 3:30pm - 5:30pm)
708 Robson Street, Vancouver
On Friday only, free tote giveaway with any purchase starting at 12 noon for the first 500 shoppers. On Saturday only, all day giveaways. Free women's Frost Free Vest with any purchase for first 500 shoppers staring at 10am. Meet Ryan Kesler for autographs and pics from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

Eastside Culture Crawl
Friday, November 15 - 5:00 - 10:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday November 16 & 17 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
The 17th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl - Vancouver's 3-day visual arts, design and crafts festival. This event involves more than 15,000 people visiting artists in their studios in the area bounded by Main Street and Victoria Drive north of First Avenue in Vancouver, Canada.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Cineplex Community Day
starting 8:30am
Multiple Cineplex theatre locations
Join us on the morning of Saturday November 16 at all Cineplex Entertainment theatres for Community Day in support of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. Doors open at 8:30 am with a great selection of FREE movies beginning at 9:00am. Plus, enjoy a regular popcorn, regular fountain drink and selected candy for only 2 DOLLARS each with 100% of the proceeds donated to the Canadian Olympic Foundation! Movies: Men in Black 3, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, The Smurfs, The Amazing Spider-Man and Hotel Transylvania (3D).

Old Navy Robson Grand Opening
Fri and Sat (Ryan Kesler signing on Sat 3:30pm - 5:30pm)
708 Robson Street, Vancouver
On Friday only, free tote giveaway with any purchase starting at 12 noon for the first 500 shoppers. On Saturday only, all day giveaways. Free women's Frost Free Vest with any purchase for first 500 shoppers staring at 10am. Meet Ryan Kesler for autographs and pics from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

Eastside Flea - by donation
10am - 4pm
The Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac Street, Vancouver
The Eastside Flea is a new Community Flea Market in Vancouver BC featuring a diverse array of vendors from handmade goods, vintage clothing & antiques, art, craftsmen items, food, garage sale, and more!

Nikkei Place Craft & Bake Fair
Sat & Sun 11am - 4pm
6688 Southoaks Crescent Burnaby
Celebrate Christmas with a Japanese flair! From gorgeous traditional textiles to fun and funky contemporary items as well as home baking and other delicious snacks, the always popular Craft Fair has something to suit every taste. Start your holiday shopping here!

Eastside Culture Crawl
Friday, November 15 - 5:00 - 10:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday November 16 & 17 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
The 17th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl - Vancouver's 3-day visual arts, design and crafts festival. This event involves more than 15,000 people visiting artists in their studios in the area bounded by Main Street and Victoria Drive north of First Avenue in Vancouver, Canada.

Holiday Event at Crate & Barrel
1pm - 4pm: Centerpiece Demonstration
2pm - 4pm: Rosie Daykin book signing
Crate & Barrel at Oakridge Centre
Host a Holiday to remember with expert tips from your friends at Crate and Barrel. Visit the store on November 16th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and enjoy:Centerpiece Demonstration Setting the Holiday Table, Holiday Giveaway, Cutlery 101. Meet bakery owner and author Rosie Daykin as she signs copies of her cookbook, Butter Baked Goods.November 16, 2013 2-4 p.m.

Book reading: The Measure of a Man by JJ Lee
2pm - 4pm
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall St, Vancouver
(in the Hall of One Hundred Rivers)
Part personal memoir, part social history of the man’s suit, it is a deeply moving and brilliantly crafted story of fathers and sons, love and forgiveness, of fitting in and standing out — and discovering what it means to be your own man. Copies of The Measure of a Man will be available for purchase during the event.

Robson Square Ice Skating
Nov 15th at 1pm until the end of Feb 2014.
The Robson Square Ice Rink will be opened on November 15th, 2013 at 1pm until the end of February 2014. This winter, renew a classic Vancouver tradition and enjoy some old-fashioned fun. Come celebrate winter in style with free skating in the heart of downtown Vancouver. It’s a magical place to enjoy the holidays with your friends, family and loved ones.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Nikkei Place Craft & Bake Fair
Sat & Sun 11am - 4pm
6688 Southoaks Crescent Burnaby
Celebrate Christmas with a Japanese flair! From gorgeous traditional textiles to fun and funky contemporary items as well as home baking and other delicious snacks, the always popular Craft Fair has something to suit every taste. Start your holiday shopping here!

Eastside Culture Crawl
Friday, November 15 - 5:00 - 10:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday November 16 & 17 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
The 17th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl - Vancouver's 3-day visual arts, design and crafts festival. This event involves more than 15,000 people visiting artists in their studios in the area bounded by Main Street and Victoria Drive north of First Avenue in Vancouver, Canada.

Blim Market - by donation
12pm - 6pm
Heritage Hall, Main × 15th, Vancouver
Blim to hold popular local indie market at the Heritage Hall! Featuring: Hot food by Open Sesame Varinicey Pakoras Blim door prizes Local artizans, jewellers, and crafters Vintage Baked goods Gourmet chocholates and more!

Guided Walk of Historic Renfrew Creek in Hastings-Sunrise
1pm - 4pm
STARTS AT corner of Charles Street & Kaslo Street in Hastings-Sunrise
Join us for a FREE guided walk of historic Renfrew Creek with historian Bruce MacDonald. Historic Renfrew Creek runs from Charles and Slocan Street to New Brighton Park–right through the Sanctuary and Hastings Park. A plan is in the works to start restoring the creek in New Brighton Park. Environmental restoration biologist, Sarah, who is working on the project, and historian Bruce MacDonald will be with us. Bruce has done some amazing research on historic streams. He has written a book: Vancouver: a visual history. This is a FREE event. There will be hot chocolate and treats at the park. Everyone welcome.

Robson Square Ice Skating
Nov 15th at 1pm until the end of Feb 2014.
The Robson Square Ice Rink will be opened on November 15th, 2013 at 1pm until the end of February 2014. This winter, renew a classic Vancouver tradition and enjoy some old-fashioned fun. Come celebrate winter in style with free skating in the heart of downtown Vancouver. It’s a magical place to enjoy the holidays with your friends, family and loved ones.

HOT. That was the first thing that went through my mind when Patrick Whalen took the stage as the handsome but distant, Christian Grey-like character, Hugh Hanson. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

SPANK! is a hilarious musical parody of the popular erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. I've never actually read any of the books (gasp!), so I brought along some one who has (and love it). Turns out I didn't really need to read the book. I read the Wiki page of Fifty Shades right before the show so I got the gist of the story, but I has laughing as hard as my friend. The performance had me and my friend laughing into stitches. It was one laugh after another. The show was littered with funny double entendres, pop culture references and the actors' expressions and body language were just priceless. And that body of Hugh's. Well! That was just icing on the cake. Also reading the Wiki definitely helped in getting some of the jokes made in reference to the origins of Fifty Shades book (eh-hem Twilight fan fiction...).

There were only three (very talented) actors in the whole show; Patrick Whalen played the smoldering Hugh Hanson (Christian Grey), Danielle Trzcinski played lip-biting, hardware store employee, Tasha Woode (Ana Steele), and Anne Marie Scheffler played the middle aged mother and author of the book, E.B. Janet (E.L. James). The show starts with E.B. Janet deciding to write her sex fantasy novel and creating the characters Hugh and Tasha. E.B. Janet is usually on the side of the stage with her keyboard loosely directing her character's actions. It's very funny as her own characters begin to question the believability of the story they are written in.

Not only do the characters interact with each other, they interact with the audience as well! I was not expecting that and neither were the people in the front row! The responses of those people were a hoot and Danielle Trzcinski was an expert at improvising and the other actors also used the audience responses later on in the show. It was such a coincidence that one of the audience members called upon to help Tasha's "sexual problems" worked in a sex shop...Yeah, I can't make this stuff up! I think it that, that made it even funnier. The interaction of the audience was some of my favourite parts!

My friend said that it was one of the best comedy shows she's ever seen and I agree! I couldn't stop laughing!

Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody is playing at the Vogue Theatre in downtown Vancouver for two more days, November 15 & 16. Don't miss it! Prepare to be SPANKed! You'll be howling for more!

Please visit http://spankshow.com for more info.

Disclosure: I received tickets to the show to review. No other compensation was received. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any other way.

The Savour the City events presented by Lincoln Motor Company of Canada aimed to redefine the experience of a test drive. They pair Lincoln MKZ experiences with a complimentary evening of fine food prepared by innovative chefs from local restaurants. Having done events in Toronto and Montreal, it was Vancouver's turn this week where they will host the Lincoln experience at several different restaurants. Savour the City started off on Monday, November 11th at Wildebeest Restaurant in Gastown.

Before dinner, we had to participate in the Lincoln test drive experience, which meant scanning our driver's license and answering a quick pre-drive survey.

After the registration, the Lincoln representative asked us if we wanted to drive or be a passenger. I opted to be a passenger. We also had the choice between test driving the MKZ EcoBoost or Hybrid. We chose the Hybrid.

The MKZ is a really nice car.

It has a lot of nice little touches like heated steering wheel, heated seats, sun roof, etc.

It's a very quiet and smooth ride.

There's no actual physical buttons, everything is back lit when the car is started.

This one's the MKZ EcoBoost.

After the rep drove us around the block, we headed into Wildebeest for the culinary portion of the Lincoln experience, which included a three course dinner prepared by Chef Wesley Young with two drinks on the house.

We were able to choose our dishes from a set menu.

"I'll Have Another"

Cured and confit trout salad, pine-scented celeriac

Yummy cured trout. K enjoyed this thoroughly.

For my appetizer, I had the Lamb tartare with heritage onions, horseradish emulsion, mustard seed gastrique. Loved it! The lamb had great flavour to it. Wasn't too big of a fan of the bread that came with it - too dry and hard for my taste even though it is that type of bread. Accompanying it is the Mamacita - Sparkling wine, pear lemon, basil and ginger.