President of Pyrogy Day Produces a Playlist!

On Nov. 28, my family got together to participate in Pyrogy Day 2010. Pyrogy Day is capitalized because I, self-proclaimed president, decided it would be and I didn't even wonder what Caps and Spelling would say about that... not. Anyways Pyrogy Day is an annual event that brings the Polish (and significant other) side of my family together. We spend the day making a billion dozen pyrogies (cheese and potato, sauerkraut, soy cheese, potato and garlic, pizza) and drinking. By the end of the day, we all sit around eating our creations and trying to keep our eyes open from a hard day's work. I feel like that's the closest I will ever get to being a Hutterite. 

Anyways, this tradition has been in my family since I was just a little kid and over the years, as people have gotten older, they have tried to get out of it. Well since I labelled myself the president, people have gotten their shit together. (Pardon the language) Anyways, I'm good at harrassing people into doing stuff and organzing events, like this, and making them fun. Since there is somebody who cares enough to plan it out, I think the others feel obligated or possibly feed off my excitement. Anways, enough about me.

It's important to know that there are only three important rules to Pyrogy Day:

1-It is important to have a drink in your hand. I believe in this rule for most social situations. But this will make things more fun. It will seem like less of a job and more of a ...hobby!

 (Which it should be. If it still seems like a job, you're not doing this step right)

2-It is very important to create an unusual pyrogy- one year we added an M&M to the pyrogies when we thought perhaps we would elect a new president (that didn't work out), another year we added pink dye to one batch of pyrogies (this was vile), and this year the pyrogy purse was created.

3-Lastly, it is important to not stop until it is over. Don't think that because the dough duo is having issues with rolling, that that means the pinching people can take a break. NO. We are all here for a purpose people. (I've been told I'm a slave driver. Except I'm not- I brought spinach dip to the event)

So this year, to keep the rythym going, I decided to make a playlist of all songs that reflected, made me think of, or reminded me of all things pyrogy. The criteria for this was rather broad. It could be a song that I've heard in the past on Pyrogy Day or one that reminded me of someone in the group or just something to encourage the masses to keep going when they feel like they can't pinch another pyrogy. (It's hard to believe this happens but, for some, it does.)

Warning- this is one of those times to exercise the act of taking nothing I say seriously.

So I will just provide an excerpt of my playlist (since there were 32 and I'm not that energetic right now)with a description as to why I chose such song:

1) Tom Petty- Free Falling: I chose this song because when he says he is "free, free, free fallin'" and is "gonna fall out into nothing" that he really means he is going to free fall out into nothing but pyrogies. And when he says he is "going to leave this world for awhile" it is to live in pyrogy land where nothing eles matters. I was there on Sunday. It was a real treat. 

2)Cyndi Lauper- Girls Just Want to Have Fun: Obviously, right? Not many parties can happen without Cyndi's tried tested and true contribution. This song is good for a mood lifter, a pace quickner, and, don't forget, the embarrassing family singalong. Not that we do that. We are way to cool for that garbage...much to Morgan's dismay. (brother's girlfriend)

3)The Beatles-Here Comes the Sun: Not only does the lovely guitar music put a smile on the faces of many, but the lyrics are relatable. Besides keeping my spirits high, it was also for the pinching people who may feel as though there job is never over. This song was to tell them that "here comes the sun," which means that though you're job isn't over yet, it will be at some point. So chin up and keep on pinching. (yeah, I'm just that lame)

4) Telekinesis!- Coast of Carolina: This song was picked because it is how I think pyrogies feel about their pyrogy makers. Its really a deep connection that can exist only between creator and creation. Like a bond between parent and child. 

5)It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year- Andy Williams: Also from that super annoying Staples commerical my dad would always sing when it was time to go back to school. In this case, however, it is for Pyrogy Day, which is a magical time. Fantastic really. Other than my birthday, it ranks pretty high on my list of favourite days. 

The pyrogies from this day are destined for consumption on Christmas Eve when my family gets together for a Ukrainian Christmas Dinner, which is meatless. However this "meatless" rule is not really a rule as we have pickerel as well. And that is a meat, in my opinion, anyway.
Until next year, that's all for the P-Day of 2010. 

David Sedaris at McNally Robinson

On November 22, Winnipeggers were treated to a visit from well-known writer David Sedaris. McNally Robinson was packed with avid readers, curious shoppers, and tired students to hear Sedaris read from his latest collection, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary. 


Either McNally Robinson wasn't expecting such a large turnout or the building isn't set up for big crowds at book launches and readings and signings because there were few chairs and many people milling around the store, bumping into one another. However, once the event, hosted by CBC Manitoba Information Radio's Terry McLeod, began, the audience soon forgot their crowding discomfort and were immediately engaged in the sound of Sedaris' voice. 


I had never read anything by Sedaris in the past but was looking forward to hearing from the NY Times Bestselling Author. I was pleased to find his work funny and easily understood. Since I didn't know what to expect, all I did was hope that it wouldn't be some boring author who wrote in a form of English that I didn't understand.  Sedaris' work was made funnier with his (slightly) high-pitched, reedy voice. Sedaris had his audience cracking up so frequently that pauses between laughs were shortlived. 


No photographs were allowed to be taken at any time during the reading but I managed to snap a couple after he had taken his seat to sign books-until probably three days later, judging by the size of the line up. 


Sedaris said that when he goes on tour, as he is now, he likes to have a theme when he writes about it in his journal. The theme for this tour is jokes. He writes down all the jokes that he hears from people at his events. Among them was his joke for men at a job interview:
When at an interview and it is time for you to ask them a question, as them what the difference is between a Camaro and an erection. Then say, " I don't have a Camaro." 


I was struck by his genuine-ness when it came to his fans, he made sure he heard from everyone during the question portion and answered each with detail. He also doesn't leave the store until he has signed all the books that people brought in. No matter if it keeps him signing into the night. On his way to the back of the room to start signing, he stopped to ask the person that I had gone with if he had eaten that night and where he was going to go for dinner. 


Sedaris is also the author of Barrel Fever, Naked, Holiday on Ice, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim (etc). One of the questions posed to him from the audience was how he handled privacy since he tends to write about his personal life a lot. To this he responded that he felt he knew what his family would and would not approve of him writing about. However, if he includes someting about his family members, he always gives it to them to read beforehand. He also mentioned that there are some things that he thinks about writing about his late mother, but won't because he knows she would not have approved. 


Sedaris is a very entertaining speaker and his book reading was a success. How do I know this? I have added his latest novel to my Christmas list.




Sedaris will be returning on May 3, 2011 at the Burton Cummings Theatre. Tickets for this event are available at ticketmaster.ca.

CW Blog Assignment- The Recipe for Leaving

Ingredients:

1 fleeing female
1 large crowd
1 waiting jet plane
A medium-sized duffel bag
1 impending ticket
½ an hour before departure
A cup full of confidence, a sliver of doubt

Preparation:

Blend one fleeing female with one waiting jet plane.  As the timer shows the last half hour, mix a medium-sized duffel bag with one impending ticket. Sift through the large crowd, soaking in conflicting emotions. When the alarm signals it is time, a sliver of doubt is enough to melt a cup full of confidence. 

One Art- The Good (Review)

One Art
by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn't hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan't have lied.  It's evident

the art of losing's not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster

Such a strong Birdsong.

Short Story Review: Birdsong
                        By: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A)   Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born September 15, 1977 in Nigeria. She has had a celebrated career as a writer, winning numerous literary awards. Adichie got a degree in Communications and Political Science from Eastern University in 2001. After attending John Hopkins University, she graduated with a master’s in Creative Writing in 2003. And, in 2008, Adichie received a Master of Arts in African Studies from Yale University. Shortly after this, she received a MacArthur Fellowship award. 

B)   I felt Adichie’s article was a particularly strong piece of writing. I could feel the narrator changing within the story, starting as a young, naïve woman who was infatuated with a married man. In the beginning, she mocks her co-workers who are determined to marry. As her affair deepens and the two move in together (for 13 months), the narrator grows out of her young, lovesick stage and realizes how oppressive her relationship is.
In the beginning, her lover claims to be a better man than others and would allow her to move on whenever she wanted. But, instead, he moves her in and they spend most days together where he expects her to act in a certain manner. She is expected to retrieve meat pies when he wants them, cry when he is angry with her, and not be greeted by name.  At the end of the affair, the narrator is more self-confident and has a more feminist approach to relationships. This is apparent through her heated exchanges with her boss regarding Christianity and why it was the female’s job to cut the birthday cake every time (traditional roles). She seems more confident and cynical towards the male gender. Examples of this were when she confronted men at work and wanted to slap the young boy who wanted to clean her car’s windshield. Lastly, she exerted confidence when rolling down her window to yell at the mysterious staring woman.
One thing that I didn’t follow within the piece was the identity of the woman in the car next to her. The story consists of the narrator, who is only once referred to as “Auntie” but is otherwise nameless. The narrator constantly switches between flashbacks and the present as she sits in traffic beside a woman who resembles her ex-lover’s wife. The woman is not confirmed as the wife, however, the story ends with her smiling and heading towards the bridge. I sense that the bridge is a hint as to the identity of the woman, yet I cannot find a prior reference to the bridge.

C)   This article appeared in the September 20, 2010 issue of The New Yorker. 

Hanging on the wall forever.

A volunteer reception was held at the Tijuana Yacht Club for Cancer Care Manitoba on Nov. 18. Many events that had donated to the organization were being honoured with their name on a plaque.

In May of 2009, I lost a good friend and second mother, Jacqueline Epp, to ovarian cancer and at her memorial party we encouraged guests to leave a donation for Cancer Care. During Jacquie's 18-month battle with ovarian cancer, Cancer Care helped in numerous ways, like the Look Good Feel Better program.

Every year Cancer Care holds a reception like this, with the exception of 2009, celebrating those who have raised money for the organization. I spoke to Chelsea Hermus, the special events coordinator from CancerCare Manitoba, and she said that there were people present that night who had raised up to $500,000. (Not me but hopefully someday)

The event started at 6 p.m. and went later than 8 p.m., which was its projected finish time. The workers gave out lots of free drink tickets, the dinner was very good (Bud, Spud, and Steak style but actually good) and the cakes... *sigh* To make what would otherwise be a long story-short, the cake selection was fabulous. I scored a table right across from them for myself and the other two joining me, so the cake fumes were identifiable. I was able to make eye contact and glare at the people who would walk by and consider the chocolate cake. (Just a little sneak peek at my chocolate obsession)

Anyways, on a more human note, I've been thinking about possible ideas for my IPP next year and haven't really narrowed them down much further than a not-for-profit event. I think it would either be a CancerCare or Ovarian Cancer Canada event. I have been an avid fundraiser for OCC for a few years now, so I'm leaning more towards that option. When Jacquie first passed away, her son and I were thinking of fundraising ideas, one of which we may still pursue. A hockey tournament and the proceeds would go to OCC. But all ideas like that are still in the works and there are a lot of them. Any ideas are welcome on that topic.

I managed to crop the mock-up of the plaque that will hang in the hall of CancerCare Manitoba building off of McDermott Street so that Jacquie's name was readable. 

She will be represented on the plaque as BBQ in memory of Jacqueline Epp.

This reception was an amazing experience and I am honoured to have attended it for the purpose that I did.

More professional pictures to follow...

Remembering: The Soldier's Story

Photo from: Maple Lake Ontario blog

             Private Alan Sheldon returns to his hometown of Stonewall, Manitoba, where he was born in 1925, to remember the soldiers that have served his country at the Royal Canadian Legion.

            Sheldon left to join the Second World War in 1941 after turning 18 to fight as part of the Allies, which were lead by the British Empire, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America.

            The Allies fought and won against the Axis power, lead by Germany, Italy, and Japan in a global military conflict that took place in Europe and lasted from 1939-1945.

            For his service in the Second World War, his uniform is decorated with nine different medals, including the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, the France and Germany Star, the Italian Star, and the Defence Medal. Sheldon keeps these medals in pristine condition, much like he keeps all of his mementos from the war.

            After spending two years in North Africa, Sheldon traveled over to Italy for a year and a half. Opening his bag of keepsakes, he removes a white dinner plate found in 1944 in the rubble of a bombed hotel in the town of Cesenatico on the Adriatic coast of Italy.

            “The entire hotel was demolished from bombs, but I saw something sticking out of the stones. It was a dinner plate without a scratch or crack. I threw out my mess tins and ate off the plate until the war was over,” recalls Sheldon of his discovery.

             Sheldon did not always have the luxury of having food on his plate, though. He and his fellow soldiers were often given no food, just hard cookies and tea bags. When water became hard to get, they resorted to hot water from the engine of a train for their tea.

            “Those cookies were the hardest and blandest things I have ever eaten,” said Sheldon, while pulling a box of them from his bag of keepsakes. As he opens the lid to the box, he muses, “Not a speck of mould after 66 years.”

            From his bag, Sheldon continues to pull out a leather zipped case that held many letters to him from countries giving thanks for his aide in the war, papers of his discharge when leaving the army, and a letter from future President Dwight Eisenhower upon his deployment into Europe, wishing him good luck.

            Sheldon also brought along many of the letters he and Vivian, his late wife of 68 years, had sent back and forth during the war.

            “We started numbering our letters to each other while I was away. At the end, we were at number 408,” he says, smiling.

            Sheldon replaces each of his mementos into his bag with care, trying to keep each token from his time overseas in perfect condition to pass on to his children or grandchildren one day.

            “I will never forget but for many young people, it probably doesn’t seem real to them. I show these memories to my grandkids to make it real for them,” says Sheldon.

           

Remembering: The Ceremony

Photo by: Megmet

             By 10:40 a.m. on November 11, the Royal Canadian Legion in Stonewall, Manitoba reached its capacity. Four hundred people adorned with bright red poppies sat tightly in hard plastic chairs as two hundred others lined the walls with a common purpose: to commit to a collective moment of silence in memory of those who have risked their lives for their country.

            “The town is going to have to start thinking about having the service at the arena,” says Julie McConkey, an 84-year-old resident. “It’s getting too crowded in here. The turnout keeps getting bigger every year.”

            As the trumpet from the Stonewall Collegiate Institute band faded on its final note, the lights in the hall went out. Leading Seaman Stan Davis, president of the colour party, marched down the aisle, while reciting In Flanders Fields by John McCrae with a lit torch in his hand. The emotion in his voice brought tears to the eyes of several people in the packed hall.

            “It is comforting to see so many people show up today and to know that the sacrifices of others have not been forgotten,” says Davis as his eyes scanned the crowded assembly.

            Davis, a veteran of the Korean War, says the torch is a symbol of honour, justice, and freedom, all principles that our soldiers fought for. Davis has been a member of the colour party, a group of veterans and war enthusiasts who dress in uniform for funerals and parades, for 37 years.

            Reverend Leonard Oracheski, who presided over the service, reminded the audience that the men and women who risked their lives for our country should not be forgotten. He says at closing, “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

Winnipeg Ghost Walk with Veronica Neufeld

The three of us outside MTC

Photo by: David Driedger

It was a relatively chilly night on October 29, when a group of CreComm students braved the night and faced the spirits that are thought to haunt the Exchange District. Hosting the Winnipeg Ghost Walk was Veronica Neufeld, a CreComm classmate with extensive knowledge on the historic sites in this part of the city.

Veronica getting started...

Photo by: Palmer Fritschy

I will not be disclosing the information about each building for two reasons. One, I think this tour is definitely worth taking so people should find this out on their own. And, secondly, I don't want to mess this up as it was over a week ago that I was on it. (Blame my Internet provider for this)

Photo by: Palmer Fritschy

Huddled around the Burton Cummings Theatre, we began our tour with the story of those who haunt it because it was the last place they were ever really happy. Veronica regaled us with the haunting of the Marlborough on Smith Street. We found out what was hidden within the walls of the Old Masonic Temple and heard a story from Pamela, a fellow CreComm-er, about an experience she had at an event being held there. We also walked to the Old Market Square and heard about the first hangings in Manitoba and how jail cells remain under the ground of the Square. Pantages Playhouse Theatre was also a building we walked to and heard a story about a woman in a white dress. Ironically enough, when we looked up to the window which Veronica said we would see the woman, a white dress was visible. Normally the tour would involve entering the Playhouse but there was something going on there that night and the white dress was probably part of that and not the ghostly white dress from Veronica's story. Our guide had her own experiences to share about the Playhouse before moving on to our final destination, the Manitoba Theatre Centre. Here I got the above picture taken of me and two gentlemen whose names I cannot remember.

At this point it had started to snow and the 75-minute tour was over, so the CreComm-ers headed over to the Kings Head Pub for some drinks to warm us up as we sat around discussing our own ghost stories and Halloween ideas, among other things. As a sidenote, I think it's really starting to freak me out just how soon the lovely Class 3 is going to be separated. So sad.

I was blown away by how much Veronica knew about this area of the city. I had talked to her earlier in the week and she had mentioned being nervous because she needed to memorize the information about each haunted location. But she was awesome and I'm not just saying that because I'm biased. She went above and beyond, recommending buses to the other people participating in the tour and how they can get home the quickest.

This was really a fantastic tour, very fun, spooky, and informative. I definitely recommend this to others.
The tours are still available through November so it's not too late! You can just show up at 7:40 PM at the park across from the Burton Cummings Theatre with $10, $8 for seniors and students and the experience will be yours.

Oh, you guys weren't joking?

Photo from the Winnipeg Free Press

Last night in the Elmwood-East Kildonan ward, which is populated by 42,135 people, Thomas Steen was elected councilor. It was a close race by a mere 216 votes between him and Shaneen Robinson, the NDP endorsed candidate who split the vote with left-leaning Rod Giesbrecht. This doesn't represent a stable confidence, in my opinion, but what can be done?
Having attended the candidate forum that took place at the Elmwood-East Kildonan Active Living Centre on October 20, I considered Steen's candidacy a joke. I'm not trying to be rude but the evidence he provided me with that night was rather damning.
When asked whether he was for or against re-zoning the Kelvin Community Centre, he responded with "Yo." The other candidates answered with a normal yes or no.
I spoke to him and his campaign manager earlier in the evening and they told me about a legitimate crime prevention plan that has had good results elsewhere. This plan being to implement a community officer in the neighbourhood to become familiar with its residents and be able to provide them with a personalized form of help. But this plan never came out during the forum. He eluded to the fact that he had a plan and it was more than just a pretty face, with his comment "a plan with long term results that don't just look attractive but actually work."
Do the residents of the Elmwood-East Kildonan ward really want a councilor that doesn't know how to articulate his thoughts?
After each candidate debriefed their plans for infrastructure, crime and safety, housing, and all other areas of importance, it was closing time. The candidates were given a timed two and a half minutes to summarize everything they said and convince the crowd that they were the right choice. However, Steen used up his time rifling through his papers, attempting to find what was written down for him to say.
How did he win the popular vote? Is Terryn Shiells, a classmate of mine, right when she says it was a popularity contest because he is the former captain of the Jets? Will Thomas Steen really be able to bring back the Jets? Highly unlikely, that if the Jets do return to Winnipeg that it will be from the efforts of Steen.
Anyways, at the end of the forum last week, I had heard Steen's halted Swedish-accented speeches that held little experience with the English language in comparison to Robinson's practiced emotion-evoking speak and I thought I knew exactly what was going to happen in Elmwood-East Kildonan on October 27.
Apparently I was wrong. I guess I just always thought that politicians were also wordsmiths...?
Check out Steen proving his point with his fists and not his words,

Muriel Smith: Personality Profile

Photo from: Manitoba Federation Of Labour

As Muriel Smith leans forward in her chair at Bread & Circuses Bakery Cafe, the sun glitters off the dove necklace her late husband designed and had made for her in 1976. It is still in perfect condition. 80-year-old Smith’s face is gently lined from determination and laughter. These lines represent the tough and tender approach she takes to her personal and professional life.

“I’m not caught up in labels,” says Muriel Smith, first female Deputy Premier in Canada in 1981 and winner of the Governor General Award in 2007 in Commemoration of the Person’s Case. She has been called many labels in her life: ecological humanist, passionate feminist, flag burner and baby killer. Smith has taught herself how to avoid becoming too emotional in her career as a politician.

In 1975, Smith was elected as the first female leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP). She has been involved in many social action groups: United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), United Nations Platform for Action Committee Manitoba (UNPAC), Manitoba Action Centre on the Status of Women, Human Rights Commission of Manitoba, National Council of Women of Canada. Smith contributed to the establishment of many essential government funded and human rights programs.

Growing up, Smith lived in the isolated town of Britannia Beach, British Columbia. “I was always curious about what lay beyond the mountains,” she says of growing up in such a remote area. Her blue eyes soften as she speaks of her father, an engineer, who was always very supportive of her mother’s dream of gender equality. Her mother’s influence encouraged her to become involved in breaking down traditional barriers between the genders.

As a younger woman, Smith claims she would have been too sensitive to work in politics. But since she became involved in social action groups and the NDP, she realized that she was not alone in her aspirations for equality among all people. “Groups like The YWCA- A Turning Point For Women taught me how to be more comfortable in groups and how to act on what is happening in the world. I am no longer as self-conscious or individualistic.”

“Many women become like men when entering politics, cold and power-hungry, like Maggie Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Whereas I had my own style, I managed to bring a mixture of both male and female qualities to the table.” Smith says she learned much about emotional reasoning and logical thinking from her father. She was able to combine the lessons from him with her experiences in the social action groups to further form her tough and tender approach in her professional life.

Smith married her husband in 1952 when she was 22 years old. Before having their four children, they spent a lot of time abroad, attending school and working for a year in England, traveling through Pakistan, and the Netherlands. Smith says, “I think the fact that I was able to see so much at such a young age opened my eyes to how people are treated all over the world, not just in Canada.”

Each of Smith’s four daughters expresses admiration for their strong, motivated mother. “She is loved by many because of who she is and because of what she lives by, both publically and privately,” says daughter Carolyn Smith. The youngest of four, Cathy, speaks highly of her mother’s passion for lifelong learning. “She is always reading something new that she can learn from and contributing her thoughts to various groups to which she belongs.”

Member of feminine social action groups UNPAC and UNIFEM, Tara Pratt, says, “Her house has more books than you have ever seen in your life.” Pratt often meets at Smith’s home for UNPAC gatherings and is always in awe of her book collection and passion for learning.

            Smith fingers the dove pendant hanging around her neck, making sure it is perfectly in place. She says, “Most men had viewed the idea of equality between the sexes as losing power. To me, the outcome is more complex, resulting in the loss of the illusion of romance and the idea of marriage forever.”

"You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies..."

The Social Network movie, based on the creation of Facebook, was released on October 1 and quickly rose to the #1 movie at the Box Office. The movie follows the story of Mark Zuckerberg from just before he was approached to design a social networking site called harvard.edu and decided to use a similar idea (different algorythyms though) to create his own social networking site called The Facebook(later changed to Facebook).

One quick thought:

-I think it is crazy how similar Mark Zuckerberg and the actor who plays him, Jesse Eisenberg look.

I think Mark Zuckerberg was portrayed in a mostly negative light. But I didn't find this negative light to be one that completely de-humanized or ostracized him. What I mean by this is that while Zuckerberg treated his (ex)girlfriend horrible pre and post breakup, didn't treat his friends with a proper level of respect, prioritized success above all other things, I still feel like I saw glimmers of a real human being beneath his cold exterior. And I didn't leave the movie hating his guts. Examples of real human behaviour: when he went to apologize to Erica about the website and moments when he was in mediation or building the website with his (ex)best friend/business partner, Eduardo Saverin. Perhaps this is my own personal necessity in finding something good/redeemable about everyone or maybe others felt the same, but at the end of the movie I felt bad for him. Yes, he only had to pay off a few people and the billion dollar corporation that is Facebook is still his. But it seems like he paid his prices in a different way, which at the end of the movie seemed to affect him as he sat alone with just his computer for companionship. Zuckerberg did treat many people in his life like garbage and that did portray him as a cold individual and I believe that to be the goal of those who made the movie.

If I were Zuckerberg, I wouldn't really expect this movie to hurt or help the website too much. Facebook is already used by so many people who are already so attached to "creeping" on others and staying in touch with old friends/family that they wouldn't delete their account. I don't think it would help too much because I believe those who are interested in seeing the movie are already Facebook users, like most of the population, so it won't cause those people to join. Ultimately, I think that too many people are already members for this movie to have done any damage or good.

I don't think that the donation made by Zuckerberg to the Newark school division was poorly timed with the movie release date, however honesty about the timing would have been nice. But maybe that's just my amateur public relations perspective on the subject. It's likely that Zuckerberg knew the movie was going to shine a poor light on him and was trying to do a bit of damage control. For someone whose personality was portrayed in the movie as being all about results and doing things as soon as possible, I can't picture Zuckerberg being the type of person to wait around. He seemed like the kind of person that was all about timing. I can understand how another's persons response may be negative though, especially one who is more knowledgable in the public relations field than myself. I don't know if Zuckerberg's response will have much of an impact on those who use the website, as I think too many people use the website for it to be damaged in any way until the next trend comes along. As for an impact on himself, I think the movie will have portrayed him in the way people will remember him-cold. His dishonesty about the timing probably confirmed my suspected idea that he believes he can outsmart everyone else, which doesn't necessarily further my warmth for him. If I were Zuckerberg, I think I would seek some type of therapy to try to suppress those feelings of supreme superiority. And I mean that in the nicest way possible.

It was hilarious when Zuckerberg stood up at his school hearing about his hacking into the security systems and asked for recognition.

DISCLAIMER*** I sincerely apologize is this blog post is rambly and nonsensical as I am working on three hours of sleep and feel a bit rambly and nonsensical. Don't judge me for my overly emotional take on Zuckerberg's character either.***

Would you change if it would make a difference?

Buyer Beware Team: Hayley Brigg, Jennifer David, Richard Baschak, Adam Campbell, Sara Harrison

What if you knew that the cleaners you used on your clothes, dishes, and countertops were the source of contamination in Lake Winnipeg, a place that has likely been your vacation spot as a child?

Products, like the dish soap under your sink, contain excessive amounts of phosphates and cause algae build up in Lake Winnipeg, the second largest lake in Canada. It isn't just dish soap that taints the wellbeing of our lake, hard surface cleaners and laundry detergents do too.

Environment Canada created a program called EcoLogoM, which labels certain products that meet certain eco-friendly standards. Lake Friendly, a labelling program in the Interlake region, bases it's criteria from the same standards. Lake Friendly's goal was to decrease the effects the harmful ingredients in household products have on Lake Winnipeg. Our goal as a Buyer Beware team was to provide awareness to consumers that these alternatives exist and test the differences between them and the commonly used cleaners.

We started by gathering information about the Lake Friendly products, choosing our eco-friendly brand of products and popular brand names to test the differences in effectiveness. Our group conducted our experiment at Hayley's house on Sept. 30. Each group member contributed some cleaning products or staining products and Jennifer brought a delicious lasagna for lunch!

After we had the lasagna, we left the remains of tomato sauce to dry on our plates while we went to work staining our white t-shirts. The stains included grass, car oil, wine, ketchup, and mustard. Prior to the experiment day, Hayley had spread tomato sauce around the stove.

The cleaning part of the experiment happened in two locations. Adam and I went to Bunty's Laundromat  to test out the laundry detergents and Hayley, Jennifer, and Richard stayed behind to test the dish soap and hard surface cleaners. Richard was in charge of video recording and photography during the experiments.

The dish soap results after the experiment ranked Nature Clean as first, Sunlight in second, followed by Dawn and then lastly, Palmolive.

The laundry detergent experiments finished with Tide in an astonishing lead, No Name brand in second, followed by Gain, and lastly, Nature Clean.

The hard surface experiments ranked Vim Oxy-Gel as first, Nature Clean in second, Mr. Clean in third, and Lysol in last place.

After the experiments, we conducted surveys and further primary research, like contact with a chemistry professor from the University of Winnipeg. The surveys told us that consumers are primarily concerned with effectiveness when purchasing a product. They claim they would be more eco-friendly if the option were comparable in price, effectiveness, and accessibility.

The Nature Clean dish soap and hard surface cleaner were comparable in price and effectiveness so they would be a favourable alternative for consumers. However, the Lake Friendly laundry detergent ranked in last place for effectiveness, making it an unfavourable eco option for washing clothes.

The purpose of our buyer beware was to inform the public of eco-friendly options to household cleaners. Having done the research, we can confidently reccommend Lake Friendly dish soap and hard surface cleaner that does not sacrifice effectiveness and is not subject to a major increase in price. These alternatives would help save Lake Winnipeg from the algae build up that threatens the wellbeing of the body of water. 

We would have to warn the consumer, however, that the Nature Clean laundry detergent was not up to the same standards of effectiveness and could not confidently reccommend this as an eco-friendly replacement.

To see more photos from our experiment, like the dishes, laundry, and stovetop, please click HERE.

My Meet and Greet With Sidney Crosby in Winnipeg, MB

Friday night was a big night for me. Not only did I blow my car's alternator in the middle of route 90, which actually angers a lot of people, who glare as they pass instead of offering a helping hand, but I also had my picture taken with the fabulous Sidney Crosby. Sigh. I want to be clear though, this blog post has nothing to do with the young female obsession with Sid. I'm more of a LeTang girl myself. BUT I won't pass down a good photo opportunity with the heart throb of many. So I'll just paint this little picture for you:
My friend, Nikki, and I are on our way to my brother's birthday party and after the whole broken car/tow truck scenario, we were a couple hours late. I'm also not the person to show up at a party empty handed. So once we made it back in to Winnipeg from towing my car home (back to Stonewall), I made a point of hitting Safeway to grab some snacky type foods. So as I'm strolling through the Safeway bakery section in my hockey gear (as you can see in the picture, though the picture is not of me-we decided to go matchy that night), I bumped into a familiar face. Not familiar because we've met before, but familiar because I replayed his winning goal in the Winter Olympics multiple times while he pointed into the video camera....at me obviously. 
Anyways so there we were, getting our picture taken together. He didn't say much, he seemed a bit board (omg funny word pun, me).** However, the picture of myself and him went mysteriously missing after it was taken... I blame Nikki. It is quite possible she's not the sharing type.
I thought I would share that lovely photo opportunity with all who care to take a look. Although this particular photo is not of me, I sincerely believe that somewhere the photo of myself and Sidney Crosby remains as apparently nothing can really be deleted these days.
**DISCLAIMER** This may or may not be the real Sidney Crosby.

Sam Katz and Judy Wasylycia-Leis duel it out at RRC

Yesterday morning the Creative Communications (and other) students had the luxury of hearing Sam Katz and Judy Wasylycia-Leis lay out their plans for Winnipeg on the table. Well... Judy did. Katz mostly relied on the past (on what he had done) or what is a possible plan. Judy had lots of plans to tell us about, most of them including community centers. Many of my colleagues had the opportunity to ask the candidates questions directly, hoping to get a direct answer. Or half direct, I guess. I've heard this rumour that politicians have a knack for ALMOST answering a question.

Hailey Brigg questioned Judy's plan to give ex-inmates and ex-gangmembers jobs in the city to keep them away from criminal  activities. Brigg brought up a valid point that many non-criminal members of the community are unemployed due to a lack of jobs available or don't make much more than minimum wage. She wondered why these people who have committed some kind of offense should have the advantage over those who haven't. At this point, Judy more than likely started talking about her beloved community centers again.

The two candidates acted like in person examples of those commercials you can find on tv in the States where the candidates bash each other. Instead of acting like professional adults, Judy and Katz continually pick at each other. Moments like these were cause for Richard Cloutier to say" You can feel the love in the room today."

Anyways, throughout the community center babble and the factfactfact chat it became clear to me that Katz was winning the crowd in this forum. 

Despite the cattiness and the poor professionalism at times ("Thanks, MOM") it was a great experience!

What I learned at the forum:

Katz owns the Goldeyes... (heehee just kidding, already knew that)

Montreal is a kick ass place to live and we should strive to be just like it

Judy thinks the helicopter was bad investment on the part of the city

Katz and Judy agree that a teen curfew is not the answer to violence downtown

Oh and did I mention that Judy loves community centers? She wants to rejuvenate them... a tad bit curious after 45 million dollars was invested into community centers around Winnipeg. 

Please Complete This Survey About Your Cleaning Products

Lake Winnipeg:
- is the 10th largest body of freshwater in the world
- covers 24,000 square kilmoeters
- is the second largest watershed in Canada

However, Lake Winnipeg has developed the worst algae problem of anymajor lake in the world. (Canadian Geographic magazine Nov/Dec 2006).

This algae is the result of excessive nutrients flowing into the lake from a variety of sources. Human activity contributes to this directly and indirectly in several ways, from runoff from agricultural fields, feed lots, urban lawns, golf courses, waste and household cleaning supplies/detergents that contain large amounts of phosphates.

Every year, about 8,000 tonnes of phosphorus enters the lake along with over 90,000 tonnes of nitrogen.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

How Redneck is Too Redneck?

I think I have the answer to that. Last night while I was driving North on Highway #7 between Abas Esso and Stony Mountain was when I found my answer- to be exact. Travelling East on a gravel road, steadily approaching the highway was a tractor with its bucket up high. It wasn't that he was going to drive his tractor on the pavement, don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with tractors/farm machinery on the highway as my father is a farmer and I feel for those guys sometimes what with their "WIDE LOADS."
But this tractor had something large and long hanging from its bucket. And I really mean large. As I drew closer I knew it was the body of something. The way it was swinging in the wind. What struck me as really.. bizzare about all of this is that it was like.. prime time highway driving time and people and kids were on their way home. And this guy is just idling on the edge of the highway in his tractor while some dead carcass is swinging from his bucket. I went from thinking this creature was a cow, to a werewolf (damn you Twilight), to finally realizing that it was a dead Alpaca. So, obviously, being the budding blogger that I am, I did a swift Uturn at the next intersection and sped to catch this wild man and his dead Alpaca. I managed a really horrid picture that is absolutely nothing to brag about. But I wanted everybody else to see just how much redneck was too much redneck.

The Bomber Assignment

On Friday our CreComm class received free tickets to go to the football game between the Bombers and the Alouette's. The team donated them to our class for free, which is amazing. Anyways, the purpose of us going, besides hanging out with our lovely classmates and having fun, was to write a human interest story about something happening off the field for our Journalism class. We had been hearing about this for a while now and I was torn between blinded terror and crazy excitement.. Is there actually a medium to that? 
Anyways so "the day that never ends" (as classmate, Albertine Watson, dubbed it) was upon us and we were all supposed to go to the game for 6pm so that we would have LOTS of time to find a story and get lots of interviews. When I arrived there I decided to turn OFF my shy, self-doubting switch and turn ON my go get it attitude. So I first approached a security guy, who sent me off to the Blue Bomber office. There, I talked to the nicest volunteer who took pity on me, saying that her daughter had taken the course and knew how much work it was. She sent me to a couple of other people and, finally, I had a list of several groups/organizations of interest that would be at the game that night.
From there I went straight to the Timbit soccer team, a Tim Horton's sponsored group of 72 kids from the Dakota Community Centre that were split into 6 teams. I talked to the coach of the Green Dodgers and his son and the program coordinator for the league. They were all so nice and I felt like I got some solid information from them.
From there, I went off to find my second story (so I could pick between the two) and started approaching more volunteers etc looking for somebody "newsworthy". That is when I ran into the greatest person EVER. 


Dialogue:
Me- Hi I'm a RRC student looking writing a human interest story tonight about people in the crowd for my Journalism class. Do you know of any groups or people who may have an interesting story to tell?
Mystery man- That guy. Right there. (points behind me) That is David Asper.
Me- (speechless) Oh... no... What would I say... (mumbling) YIKES. (wanders over and hovers by Asper then retreats to wall with no self-confidence)
Mystery man-  (approaches) Nervous? Ask him this, this, this, and this. (listing off several well-informed questions)
Me- Who are you, you ANGEL!? 
Mystery man- I'm nobody. I just work at a *local paper* so I know some stuff. GO!
Me- rush over and introduce myself to David Asper... 
I won't tell the entire conversation as it was kind of long and fabulous. But, at one point when I ran out of things to ask, I did say "Sorry, I'm nervous. You are like a celebrity."


Anyways, the Bomber game was a great night. It was a fun bonding experience. I hadn't been to a game in a long time and was surprised by just how many people were there. However, the ONLY thing that I did not enjoy about this game (besides the Bomber's loss) was the deadline. Normally for Journalism assignments we have 2 hours to get the story and have it printed. For the Bomber's, we had 4 days. And I obsessed. I can't even tell you how many times I changed the same paragraph before it ended up the same as how I had it in the first place. 
In the end,  I went with the Timbit story though now I'm second-guessing my choice. But, it turned out good. I'm looking forward to getting it back....kind of. 

The Banana Statue

Melita is a small town located in the southwestern part of Manitoba. With a population of approximately 1100, it is known as the Grasslands Bird Capital of Manitoba. It is also known as the Banana Belt due to its slightly warmer climate than the rest of the province.
As a way of attracting tourists to the small town, the community decided to erect a 30-foot, 6200 pound banana statue. This statue was unveiled last month on August 7th. The town is holding a naming contest until midnight on September 30th to give the banana a name on it's champion wrestler-looking belt, underneath the inscription "Welcome to the Banana Belt."
Two names will be chosen, one for the banana and one for the blue jay that is perched on the right arm of the banana, representing how the town is well-known for it's bird population. This contest is open to everyone, so I encourage all to participate in the naming process.. I mean how often do you get to name a 30-foot banana? To fill out an entry form, click here.
The banana statue was built in Calgary by Heavy Industries, a manufacturing company. It was brought to Melita on a flatbed truck and unveiled during the town's Banana Days. During this special occasion, the town gave out free banana splits to all those who attended. If only I had known.. who doesn't love a free banana split?
You can join the Banana Belt Facebook group to get to know the banana better. 

This photo was taken by the Brandon Sun prior to the banana taking its upright position.

BODIES...The Exhibition

Last night I went to the opening of the BODIES...The Exhibition in Winnipeg at the MTS centre exhibition place on Portage Ave. The tickets cost me about $19.00 each when I bought them online. I was really looking forward to this part of my province exploration because of how controversial it was for some people in the city.
The controversial topics are:

•  How the bodies are accumulated (prisoners from China?)
•  How the bodies are treated (skinned, de-boned, pulled apart, etc)
• Respecting the dead
• The fetal development section

Upon arriving at the centre, my group was informed that photographs, cellphones, and chewing gum were forbidden. This both surprised and disappointed me as nowhere on the tickets did it say that cameras weren't allowed, which is typically what TicketMaster does. The exhibition hosts did, however, offer to take my picture at the entrance and PhotoShop in a body for a whopping $8.00. So I did what any starving student would do, I stealthily took pictures when no one was looking(thanks to my awesome new Ipod Touch)! That being said, please excuse any mediocre or just plain bad pictures. I was under stress.

The two-floor exhibit starts at the top of a stair case with cases showing the muscles in different parts of the body. I had (for the price of $5.00) bought an audio guide to help me understand just what was going on in front of me. Each body part came with two sets of numbers. One set was for adults and the other for children. I, being completely biologically inept, selected the children's take on the body.

We arrived very shortly after the doors opened at 6:30 pm to a relatively empty exhibit. But soon after, the place was full of people. I was happy to see this because then my audio guide explaining things to me in "childspeak" wouldn't be echoing in the quiet hall (embarrasssing) and I could get a look at what kind of people are creepy enough to check it out- besides me, obviously! Although, this surge of people made it harder and harder to sneak pictures.

< This is a picture of the skull and the arteries in the head.

**FUN FACT: Girls' brains account for 2.5% of their body weight whereas boys' brains only account for 2%.** I felt a silent victory when reading this until it sunk in that girls typically weigh less than boys...

Speaking of the brain, I HELD ONE LAST NIGHT! No big deal. It was in my hands while a biology student regaled me with the story about Phineas Gage and how brain damage affected his personality. Apparently I learned that in Intro to Psych but it was way more memorable this time. I suspect this is because of the actual brain.. in my hands.

I decided it was best to leave out pictures of the fetal development section. It was interesting to see how a baby's skin changes and what they look like at different stages.. but I wasn't going to be the person posting (unauthorized)pictures of babies floating in jars on the internet.

<I really enjoyed this hitchhiking skeleton

I think the BODIES exhibit was really interesting. It is only in Winnipeg until January so I reccommend that everyone go and check it out. I didn't find that I was offended by how the bodies were displayed but I did find a sign regarding that subject that I wanted to share with my blog readers.

I know it is really hard to read because of the horrible photograpy skills so I will rewrite it."The bodies in this Exhibit have been displayed with the dignity and respect they so richly deserve."

This sign (that was located right by the Exit) made me laugh because of it's last attempt efforts of dissuading people from being offended by the exhibit. I suspect this sign was intended to be geniune but it ended up just sounding sarcastic. Or is that just me?

To see the rest of my pictures, please click on the following like:
BODIES... The Slideshow