Raw and uncut, we give you the real juice on University of Toronto campus life.
Author: A.E Johnson
A.E Johnson is a second year student going into Arts and Sciences at the St. George Campus. Focusing on Environmental Biology, Forest Conservation and Ethics, Andrew inspires to protect as much of the Earths natural environment as possible. Hoping to bring an exciting twist to how you view your everyday activities and how you can make a difference.
* This contest is closed. Congratulations to Sarah for winning tickets to see THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE in theatres *
BlogUT wants you and a friend to win tickets to see THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE, now playing in theatres. In the comment section below, tell us the name of the Canadian star who plays Steve Gray in this movie!
Superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt’s growing ego. But lately the duo’s greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they’ve grown to loathe each other.
Facing cutthroat competition from guerilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), whose cult following surges with each outrageous stunt, even their show looks stale. But there’s still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act—both onstage and off—if Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place.
For more information on the movie, check out the trailer below! THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE is now playing in theatres !To stay up-to-date with Warner Bros Pictures Canada releases, follow them on Facebook and Twitter !
********* CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED.*********
BlogUT wants you and a friend to win advance screening tickets to see BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. In the comments section below, enter the name of the lead actress in the movie for your chance to win tickets to this awesome movie!
A supernatural love story set in the South, “Beautiful Creatures” tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers: Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich), a young man longing to escape his small town, and Lena (Alice Englert), a mysterious new girl. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town.
For more information about the movie, check out the trailer below.
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES hits theatres February 14!
********* CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED.*********
To start the new year off right, blogUT wants you and a friend to win advance screening tickets to see GANGSTER SQUAD. For your chance to win, comment below with who you think has the best on-screen chemistry with Ryan Gosling and why.
Synopsis:
Los Angeles, 1949.
Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
Under the direction of Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland”), “Gangster Squad” is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The film stars Oscar® nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Drive”) as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters, and Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”) as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte (“Warrior,” “Affliction”) as LAPD Chief “Whiskey Bill” Parker, and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention.
The movie also stars Anthony Mackie (“The Adjustment Bureau”) as Coleman Harris, a switchblade-wielding cop who proudly patrols one of the most crime-ridden areas of the city; Giovanni Ribisi (“Avatar”) as the force’s Conwell Keeler, an electronics expert who takes as much pleasure in fixing his son’s bike as he does tinkering with experimental, military-grade equipment; Michael Peña (“Battle Los Angeles”) as Officer Kennard’s over-eager sidekick, Navidad Ramirez; Robert Patrick (“Flags of Our Fathers”) as Officer Max Kennard, a deadly cop who patrols the Olvera Street beat; and Mireille Enos as O’Mara’s wife, Connie.
The screenplay is by Will Beall (TV’s “Castle”), based on the book Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman. The film is being produced by Dan Lin (“Sherlock Holmes”), Kevin McCormick (“The Lucky One”) and Michael Tadross (“Arthur”). The executive producers are Ruben Fleischer, Paul Lieberman and Bruce Berman.
Joining Fleischer behind the scenes are the director’s regular collaborators, production designer Maher Ahmad and editor Alan Baumgarten (“30 Minutes or Less,” “Zombieland”), as well as editor James Herbert (the “Sherlock Holmes” films), Academy Award®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”) and Oscar®-nominated costume designer Mary Zophres (“True Grit”). The film’s composer is Steve Jablonsky (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”).
For more information about the film, check out the film’s trailer below.
GANGSTER SQUAD hits theaters January 11!
Want to win a pass for two to see ARGO in theatres? Answer below with your favourite Ben Affleck film and why:
Based on true events, “Argo” chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis—the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.
Visit the film’s website here: www.argothemovie.com
Walking into my first day of ENV100 I had no idea what to expect. I thought the class was going to be about windmills, hydroponics, and other environmental technologies. I was sure wrong when the class turned out to be a lot of literature written 100 years ago from guys I had never heard of.
Before every class my friends and I would congregate. We’d make fun of the required readings, which were about how beautiful the mountains were and how the trees would cry when they were cut down. It seemed humorous.
I didn’t realize until after how important environmental literature is in these times. It is a movement of authors, journalist, and bloggers like us who are trying to spread the word of our changing environment. It is a way for people to be informed of how damaging our everyday actions are.
Looking further into environmental literature I found that most newspapers now have a section on sustainability or environmental issues. I also found many websites whose main focus is on these same issues. I thought this was great.
The only issue with some literature is that a lot of people, including university students, find these articles long and tedious to read. But colourful pages with pictures and graphs seem to make the literature more interesting.
That is why I introduce to you GOOD magazine. This online media source does not talk about all the bad stuff you hear about on the daily news or read in local papers; ‘good’ is in its name. It is not all about the environment but most of the posts have some aspect of sustainability within them. It presents information in a colourful, pictograph, and fun manner.
Furthermore, GOOD magazine posts videos about these issues that are really informative, short and interesting. It is a perfect way to pass the time in a coffee shop, student lounge, or take a break from studying.
Everyone says that they want to do better for the environment – unless you’re a corporate monster cutting down the rainforest. There is no longer an excuse as to why one cannot be informed of issues ranging from alternative fuel use, environmental business or how to be a little more creative.
So next time you’re surfing the web, looking for something to read or watch, do a little GOOD for yourself and the earth, get informed.
A recent article released by the Toronto Star states that the air quality in Toronto might not be as bad as we all think it is.
This may seem hard to believe, considering the extreme density of the downtown core. Ironically though, it is the suburbs which we should avoid.
The mid-20th century boom of the suburbs in the GTA was supposed to be a Renaissance in urban development and infrastructure. However, another Toronto Star article indicates that the typical infrastructure of the suburbs is what causes high levels of CO2 emissions. The greatest amount of the emissions in the GTA comes from the town of Whitby at 13.02 tonnes per year. Where do they place the blame? Distance from the sidewalk. Apparently, living in a house that is set well back from the sidewalk makes one more inclined to ride around in a large, gas-guzzling SUV. But is it worth risking our environmental well being to get to and from soccer practice, the corner store, or even through the long lineups at McDonald’s (which consequently makes us fat) by driving a gas-guzzler?
So why should we be living in the city? The answer is actually quite clear. Public transportation is much better in the city and the sidewalks are closer to retail buildings and housing. Getting around is just easier. No one has much need for a car, except for Mayor Ford, who continues to pick fights with the ‘evil streetcars’. But that brings me to my next point. Not everyone can afford public transportation in the city; $3 a ride adds up.
Much to the pleasure of many, the bicycle has made a miraculous comeback. Everyone is using bikes. Children, adults, professors, students, hipsters… just about everyone scurries to one of the many bicycle shops in the GTA to get the latest one speed, skinny tire, weave-basket-carrying bicycle. Biking is no doubt the best way to get around the city, especially with the numerous picture-esque tree-lined streets and bike paths (another enemy of our beloved mayor). Even many of our adored professors at U of T, including Professor Brym (Department of Sociology) take their bikes wherever they go. It is almost impossible to avoid cyclists on the St. George campus, especially the ones that we almost run into while jaywalking across St. George Street to get to Sid Smith.
Recently, downtown Toronto was introduced to the BIXI bike system. This system allows anyone to go to the one of 80 BIXI stations and pay the small fee of $5 per day ($40 per month, or $95 per year) to use a bike and go their merry way.
However, there are some downsides to the program. You still have to find a station, pay a security deposit with a credit card, and there is no discounted rate for students. Despite these obstacles though, there are still many stations on campus for students to use.
In this day and age, I truly believe that our generation has the power to make an environmental change. We don’t have to make the same mistakes our parents did, driving around in gas-guzzlers. Instead, we should make sure to utilize the numerous ways of being environmentally conscientious so that the next generations can enjoy the earth too. As the centre of research for our ‘true north, strong and free’, the students of U of T should join together in a revolution against irresponsible automobile use with the same enthusiasm as Louis XIV and Napoleon – on our bikes, ready to take on CO2 emissions (and succeed).
If you haven’t already heard, the country (and the world) is coming out of a recession.
Stop right there.
Take a deep breath. In and then out again.
You don’t need to have passed the dreaded ECO100 to understand where I’m going with this.
I’m steering you in the opposite direction now.
Vegetables – the kind your grandmother hides in tomato sauce so you get nutrients to grow up tall and strong. Regardless of how you digest them, vegetables are known to be good for you, and they might just help a lot of people out of a tight squeeze.
