Pre-recorded cassettes first appeared in the mid-60s and reached their commercial peak in the mid-80s before slowly fading away over the next couple of decades. This brings me to the problem of the disastrous EMI cobalt cassettes of the 90s.
They seemed to use high-tech ferric-cobalt technology, but in fact, highly compressed audio to mask the fact that EMI was using poor-quality tape. Marketed as xDR cassettes, they were duplicated so that they sounded good on boomboxes and portable cassette players but terrible everywhere else. The music sounded harsh and rough on something like a good car stereo. Listener fatigue was a problem. Not only that, but because the base tape was substandard, xDR tapes degraded fast, especially when it came to treble frequencies.
So, if you’re a collector of vintage cassettes, stay away from these things. They are not worth your time.
The logo of the multimedia application iTunes is displayed on the screen of an Apple iPhone on June 3, 2019 in Paris, France.
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We’ve all been faced with end-user license agreements or “EULAs.” They come in the form of dialogue boxes that pop up when we’re installing new software or hoping to use a certain product online. To get it working, we have to click “agree.” By doing that, you’re now a party to a legally binding agreement between a software vendor and you that protects the developer from—well, everything that could go wrong.
And let’s face it, no one ever reads those things because they’re long and incomprehensible. We don’t know what we’re agreeing to. Here’s my favourite.
The EULA to download a single song on iTunes has a word count greater than what Shakespeare needed to write Macbeth. But it gets even better. This is a real clause from the document. “You also agree that you will not use these products for any purposes prohibited by United States law, including, without limitation, the development, design, manufacture or production of missiles, or nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.”
For downloading a song on iTunes? Talking about covering your butt, huh?
Witchrot shared a photo of a smashed guitar and told fans Sunday the band is taking a break
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Last time, we went through a list of important artists in the history of smashing instruments onstage. The 80s were a quiet time for guitar destruction, probably because synth-based music was in the spotlight, and you didn’t destroy such expensive equipment—unless you were Trent Reznor in the early days of Nine Inch Nails. There was often plenty of carnage.
In the very late 80s and early 90s, Kurt Cobain was very good at this. He went through a lot of guitars in various fits of punk rock pique. But the all-time champion in this regard is Matt Bellamy of Muse. On the band’s 2004 tour, he set a record that was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. On that tour, he destroyed—are you ready for this?—140 guitars.
Witchrot shared a photo of a smashed guitar and told fans Sunday the band is taking a break
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The smashing and destruction of instruments onstage has a long and storied history. If we have to trace it back to one person, it’s probably Pete Townshend of The Who, who, in a fit of anger, destroyed his Rickenbacker at the Railway Tavern in Harrow and Wealdstone in London. The ceiling was low, and at one point, he cracked the headstock when he swung it a little too high. He responded by destroying the rest of it. This eventually became his (and the band’s) signature move.
Next came Jeff Beck when he was playing with The Yardbirds. The band was featured in a 1966 film called Blowup. Beck trashed his Hofner guitar when his amp shorted out. The kids loved that scene. About a year later, Jimi Hendrix set his Fender Strat on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival using lighter fluid and a match. Paul Stanley if KISS came next in the 70s when many an Ibanez was killed during the band’s wild theatrics.
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Officials behind plans to overhaul the Werklund Centre are looking for the City of Calgary to double its financial commitment to the project. The move is in response to a rapidly growing budget for the modernization of the building, which was formerly known as Arts Commons. Adam MacVicar reports
City administration has requested the City of Calgary double its financial commitment to a project set to overhaul the Werklund Centre, formerly known as Arts Commons, as budget estimates for the project rapidly rise.
The modernization of the existing Werklund Centre building is the final of three projects in the area, which includes an expansion of theatre space, as well as a transformation of Olympic Plaza.
“The modernization of Werklund Centre is pivotal for this larger campus to be successful,” said Werklund Centre CEO Alex Sarian. “Our current facility is over 40 years old and, like we all know, lifecycle becomes increasingly a challenge.”
According to an update Monday to the Arts Commons Advisory Committee, $74.5 million has been committed to the Werklund Centre modernization project to date, which has left a funding gap of $270.5 million.
City administration has requested an increase to the city’s commitment to the project from $63 million to $125 million in the upcoming four-year budget, committee documents said, as a result of an adjusted project scope and cost estimates.
The move comes as city council prepares to balance priorities that continue to stack up in the upcoming budget, including funding for infrastructure, recreation, and public safety.
Ward 6 Coun. John Pantazopoulos, who chairs the committee, argued the funding increase should proceed as the modernization of the arts facility could increase economic impact and revitalization for the city’s downtown core.
“This is the kind of project we have to move forward,” he told reporters. “It’s a cornerstone of downtown Calgary, it’s a cornerstone of our arts and culture strategy at the City of Calgary, and it’s something we need to progress.”
The modernization project is set to include a redevelopment of the Jack Singer concert hall lobby as well as the lobbies of multiple theatres, an expansion to office as well as arts education space, and increased accessibility for operations both front and back of house, according to the city.
The project would also realign the Plus 15 connection, and include upgrades to the Public Building.
According to officials, the expanded scope of the project and a more refined design has the project’s cost estimated at $345 million, up $75 million from previous estimates.
“This is about further understanding what the project is,” said Calgary Municipal Land Corporation president Kate Thompson. “So the further and more detailed understanding you have with the project, the more detailed you get in the budget and that’s where we are today.”
When asked about the significant change in cost estimates, Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly said the City of Calgary should look to improve communicating the range included in the cost estimate for city-funded projects.
The most recent estimate on the Werklund Centre modernization project was Class B, which can vary by up to 10 per cent.
“We need to get a lot better about communicating that range so that when Calgarians know they hear a solid number, depending on where we’re at in the process, it might not actually be a solid number,” Kelly told reporters.
Although shovels are in the ground on the Olympic Plaza transformation, as well as the expansion to the Werklund Centre, construction on the modernization is anticipated to start in 2029 if the project can be fully funded by the end of 2026, city documents showed.
The Government of Alberta has committed $103 million to the Werklund Centre, and officials have begun advocating the Government of Canada to match those funds in its upcoming budget. The remainder of the funding would from the Werklund Centre’s philanthropic donation campaign.
“We are confident that as we advance to the third and final phase of this project, with all the new information that we have as we advance, that the community will come along with us,” Sarian said.
Calgary city council will debate the funding request as part of its deliberations for the four-year budget in November.
Calgarians are making their way onto the city's rivers after safety advisories dropped. Despite the late season start, emergency crews are answering more water rescue calls so far this summer compared to 2025. Bella Finn reports
The Bow and Elbow safety advisories have been dropped, and the river fun season has begun.
A clear sign of this may be people enjoying a river raft cruise, but for the Calgary Fire Department, they see it in the volume of calls for help.
“This year we’re seeing higher trends of water use, especially when it comes to higher rescues by our water rescue crews,” says assistant Deputy Chief James Docherty. “We’re actually on pace right now to beat previous records.”
Emergency crews say taking time to properly prepare for a water adventure won’t dampen the fun.
“A lot of new people in Calgary, they just don’t understand our waterways quite yet,” says Docherty. “And albeit the Bow River does look quite calm, it can be turbulent and unpredictable and without proper planning, proper equipment and contingencies in place.
“People can put themselves in dangerous conditions.”
Lazy Day Raft Rentals outfits river-goers for a day out on the Bow. Its owner, Arlin Friesen, says it’s a great way to enjoy the water and most people stick to the rules of wearing a lifejacket and being safe.
“I don’t know why people love to hit these bridge pillars,” says Friesen, “I know a lot of times they do it on purpose, because I’m on the water all the time. They do it and they smack and sometimes you’ll flip right out of the boat. Then you’re in the water and need rescuing.”
As part of National Drowning Prevention Week, Alberta RCMP are reminding the public of key practices to water safety. This includes:
Wear a life jacket. Wear a life jacket while boating, doing water sports, and if you can’t swim.
Supervise children and non-swimmers. Keep children and non-swimmers within arms’ reach when in and around bodies of water.
Stay sober around water. Never operate a boat, or go swimming, when tired or impaired.
Be aware. Be mindful of water conditions, such as strong currents. Rivers can have risks like moving water, undercurrents, changing depth, and entrapment hazards.
Never go alone. Do not operate a boat or go swimming alone, and don’t overestimate your swimming abilities. Always have a spotter in the boat when towing someone during water sports.
Learn to swim. Many drownings occur when a person unexpectedly falls into a body of water.
Protect your neck. Never dive into shallow water. If you’re unsure of the water’s depth, enter feet first.
Consider high visibility swimwear. Bright, high-contrast colours can be more easily seen in the water.
The family of a young woman who died following an e-scooter collision in East Vancouver is hoping more riders will wear helmets, as they mourn the loss of their loved-one in a crash that police say - didn't have to be fatal. Kristen Robinson reports.
Shyan Lolly loved to help people.
Aside from her job as a 911 call taker, her family says she would do anything for anyone if they needed it.
“She worked downtown at different shelters and she loved paying for homeless people’s foods or stuff like that,” sister Victoria Lolly said.
“She was just so nice a person that we can’t imagine, we’re so devastated that she didn’t make it through the scooter collision.”
She was not wearing a helmet, hit her head on the ground and was conscious when she was transported to the hospital, but she died from her injuries on July 11.
Shyan’s mother, Olivia, told Global News that her daughter was a very strong person and she was so proud of everything about her 30-year-old daughter.
But they want the message to reach people that wearing a helmet is so important. It can save someone’s life or lessen their injuries.
“They should wear the helmets to protect themselves in any future injuries or fatal deaths like my sister,” Victoria said.
“Any ages, like youth to older people, I still see them wearing no helmets. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how much you learn to drive, it’s still important to wear the helmet.”
Olivia said wearing a helmet could save another family from a devastating loss like theirs.
“My concerns started growing when I saw a lot of young people riding these scooters in front of my apartment building very fast and recklessly, you know, they’re playing and they’re yelling at each other,” she told Global News.
“I’m not a mom, but they’re kids, and I’m worried about them.”
Boire said she thinks there should be a sense of commitment to community responsibility and safety.
“A lot of other cultures really foster that sense of community and we don’t so much here,” she said.
“And I really believe in just caring about how your neighbours are doing and about the safety of other people. And it would be horrible to have someone get hurt in front of my home and my workplace.”
The owner of a stuffed toy donkey has been located after it was left behind on a BC ferry. Crew members posted about "Churro the Burro" and included photos of all of his adventures on board. They were hoping to reunite the stuffed animal with its young owner. Kylie Stanton has the story.
BC Ferries have been delighting passengers recently, all thanks to a stuffed pink donkey they named ‘Churro the Burro’.
The donkey was left behind last Thursday during a sailing from Swartz Bay to the Southern Gulf Islands.
“It was pretty much a simple lost and found story and it became a massive community effort,” Lilian Kim with BC Ferries told Global News.
Staff decided that instead of waiting for someone to come and claim the donkey, they named him, gave him a badge and then a front row seat to life on board BC Ferries.
“They’ve been exploring the engine room, the bridge, the outer decks, as well as Passages,” Kim said.
“And it has been great to just watch the whole journey evolve.”
BC Ferries posted updates online, generating more than a million views and thousands of reactions, shares and comments.
“Just jumping on board and cheering them on to make sure that they get reunited with their family again,” Kim said.
On Monday afternoon, BC Ferries posted an update saying that staff believes they have located Churro’s family.
“We are just so grateful and we thank everyone who has shared this story,” Kim said.
“This has been so far – a wonderful opportunity just to see the community get together and see everybody get so excited and just spread that joy around this as well.”
Edmonton nurse Nadine Robinson, 36, was found dead on July 20, 2006 in the Clareview townhouse she shared with her son, stepson and husband. As Sarah Ryan explains, no one has ever been charged in her death.
It’s been 20 years since Royal Alexandra Hospital nurse Nadine Robinson was found dead in her Clareview townhouse.
No one has ever been charged with her death.
“I had a recent meeting with (Edmonton Police Service) where I got a little more information, but it’s still shrouded in so much secrecy due to the open case,” explained her son, Stephen Robinson, who was just 14 when his mom died.
Police tape surrounded the townhouse near 139 Avenue and 32 Street that she shared with her husband Wayne Creary, son Stephen and stepson Kemol, where police officers had been called to a sudden death on July 20, 2006.
They didn’t know they were dealing with a homicide until the following day, when an autopsy was conducted.
“The medical examiner completed his initial assessment today and has determined the cause of death,” An EPS officer at the time told Global News, “but due to the nature of the investigation it can’t be made public at this time.”
The 36-year-old was born in Jamaica — one of 10 children — and moved to Canada at the age of 13.
She went to Killarney Junior High and Eastglen High School on the northside, before becoming a licensed practical nurse in 1999.
Nadine Robinson was killed at the age of 36.
Courtesy: JusticeforNadine.ca
She loved helping patients with dementia and had previously worked at Capital Care Dickinsfield, McConnell Place and Shepherd’s Care Kensington.
Robinson was also a health care aide instructor at Nightingale Academy where, a year before her death, was proud to see her first class graduate.
For as much passion has she had for nursing, her pride and joy was her son Stephen.
“I was pretty lucky to have this woman raise me. She was very caring, very loving, very patient.”
She loved exploring nature with him, going to lakes and mountains and eager to get there — her family joked the four-foot, 11-inch woman had a lead foot on the highway.
Back in 2006, a police officer told Global News there were no suspects at the time, “but we hope to have that rectified relatively quickly.”
That never occurred, denying her son any chance of closure.
“It’s been absolutely devastating to go 20 years without knowing what happened,” Stephen said.
“Without any answers, no justice — it’s been really tough.”
Robinson’s loved ones gathered Sunday in a school field to pay tribute to Nadine.
“Just to remind people that she was here. She had impact. She was caring and kind, not just a stat,” said her brother Kevin Robinson.
Her family said Nadine believed in giving back, so donations were collected in support of WIN House — an Edmonton organization that provides shelter and support to women and children fleeing domestic violence.
Her family was touched by the turnout at the vigil.
“It’s pretty comforting to know that she’s not forgotten. To know people still support and want to get justice for her,” Stephen said.
Stephen and Kevin believe the passage of time may have allowed someone with knowledge of Nadine’s death to reconsider keeping the killer’s secret.
“It’s not something that any amount of grief, any amount of hope, any amount of wishing is going to change unless people who know something, say something,” Kevin said.
A website has been set up to help bring attention to Nadine’s murder at justicefornadine.ca
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