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Cheers to NYE! Cheers to that!


Here’s the thing…New Years Eve is almost entirely over-hyped and as a result sometimes a very big letdown. Somewhere out there your brother’s duechy friend has gotten a keg and a bunch of his uber cool friends together for a sweet time and you really won’t want to go. So, here is a list of non-lame things to do on New Years that are guaranteed not to let you down. However, if they do, it’s not blogUT’s fault and we are entirely not to blame!

Dragonette@Tattoo
A flashy new bar with flashy headlining entertainment. They’ll probably play “I get Around” which is such a good jam that it will single handedly save your night. Tickets are $40 and rumored to be going oh so fast.

IN FLAGRANTI@Sneaky Dee’s
A good option for anyone who wanted to get out of the city for NYE but was too broke. The New York dance infused beats of IN FLAGRANTI will have you forgetting that you’re only on college street, mere steps and days away from your next lecture.

CITY TV BASH@Nathan Phillips Square
Gone are the days of Sean Desmond bopping his way into our young hearts. We’ve all grown up and so has CITY. This year they’ve invited The Plain White T’s who may be a few steps up from Desmond; they even have a Grammy or something! The big selling point here is it’s FREE!

Midnight Cabaret@The Drake Hotel
Hey big spender! If elegance and a plated dinner are what you seek then the Drake is hosting a cocktail type party. Tickets range from $25 to $225.

The Sadies@The Horseshoe Tavern
The Toronto band put out an outstanding album this year and they played the same New Years gig last year so they must’ve done something right. Tickets are $25 at the door.

If all else fails, you could always share a bottle of Spumante Bambino with some friends. Laugh about the name, laugh about ’07 and enjoy the good company!

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Randomland gets truly Random!

It is extremely difficult to put CirCa into words. If you haven’t had the chance to party there yet I’m sure you’ve at least heard about it. At once it is intense and whimisical, underground and commercial. The problem they have been facing to date is that their Friday night party always features the same two or three DJs and though it’s called Randomland, it was all starting to become a little predictable. Recently, they have opened up their venue to more acts. This Friday CirCa is featuring over nine, count em, NINE acts as part of their Tropical Holiday on Friday December 28th. Including live performances from The Carps and Jake Fairly and 3-D movies in their Skyy Cinema.

Cover is $20 and guestlist is $10.
Check out their website for directions and contact info.

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Athletic Center Demystified

To many people, the Athletic Center (AC) at the University of Toronto looks big and intimidating. It is confusing. In such a huge building, where do you start? Things are not exactly intuitive: the facilities are located in different parts of the building. For example, the change rooms are located in the basement, while the weight and fitness machines and the track are spread out on the main floor and second floor. This means that you’ll need to go downstairs, get changed, and then come upstairs again to one of the other floors. This article is designed to give you an overview; so hopefully, the AC will seem less intimidating after reading this article.
Continue reading “Athletic Center Demystified”

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Can’t Wait for Christmas!

Can’t Wait fo christmas

So, in the holiday season inundated with cheesy jingles and repetitive displays, why is blogUT puggling a “Can’t Wait for Chistmas!” website? Well, maybe because the site is built by U of T students and the simple mission statement is quite endearing:

in the spirit of holidays, countdowns, and dreams, take a minute and share what you can’t wait for this Christmas!

Hey, I appreciate the sentiment, and I’m not even Christian.

But perhaps more touching is what people have shared: the reasons they can’t wait for Christmas. Of course, many comments, like this one by Graf1771, run along the lines of Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Christmas!”

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Canada Japan Society Presents: Azumi

Azumi CJS

The Canada Japan Society screens a Japanese movie every month, and this month, the film looks pretty wicked. Advertised as a film that “makes Kill Bill look like Sesame Street,” AZUMI certainly looks exciting from the trailer.

Our heroine, Azumi is one of ten specially trained assassins who has to help stop a plot to oust Tokugawa Ieyasu from power in 16th century Japan. If you love swordplay and ninja action then this is the film for you!

When: Friday, December 14, 2007. 7pm
Where: National Film Board Theatre (150 John Street)
Details: $8 admission ($5 for CJS Members). Here’s the Facebook event page.

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Free Rice, Better Grades, No Catch?

Free RiceHere’s a healthy exam time distraction: visit FreeRice for a fun time and to feed hungry children! It’s a vocabulary game that comes with the warning…“This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance…”

For every correct answer you get, the sponsors donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. The game automatically adjusts to your skill level… As you answer more questions correctly you go up in levels to more challenging word definitions. It’s pretty fun, totally addictive, and all for a good cause.

I was skeptical but if you have any questions like, hmm why would they donate rice for me playing this game, then just read the FAQ page, it explains everything. Basically the more you play the more effective the advertising and so the more money the advertisers donate.

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UTSU and Hart House Present the AIDS Benefit Concert

Hidden Cameras

If you want to check out some great Canadin indie music you won’t have to leave campus to do so. On Thursday December 13th starting at 8:00pm, The Hidden Cameras will be performing along with Sister Suvi, from Montreal, and local Toronto musician Allie Hughes in the Great Hall at Hart House. This is an aids benefit concert with proceeds going towards Toronto People With AIDS Foundation and AVERT International. The best part about this concert is that tickets are only $5 for students or $10 for adults. It’s brought to you by UTSU in partnership with Hart House’s Social Justice Committee.

For advance tickets head to the University of Toronto Students’ Union office located at 12 Hart House Circle, 9:00am-5:00pm. Cash only. Or for more information: (416) 978-4911 x 225

Also, you can check the facebook event AIDS Benefit Concert with The Hidden Cameras for more info.