Category Archives: Real Life

“Cross the Line”

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A Breakthrough in Negotiation.

I have a class about alternative dispute resolution. On our first day of class the instructor told us that we would all be participating in an experiment. We all had to choose a partner and line up along the middle of the class. We all faced our partners and were told to imagine that there was an invisible line between us.

The exercise is to try to convince our partners to step over the line using whatever methods we could, while you are supposed to stay on your side no matter what.

After a few minutes, nobody had budged. Offers of coffee, lunch, and class notes didn’t convince anybody.

Yes, I wanted a coffee, but I wanted to win even more. So I didn’t cross the line. Nobody was making any progress.

During the standstill I got an idea. My objective is to get my partner on my side of the line. His objective is to get me on his side of the line. I had figured it out.

“What if I cross the line and go to your side, and you cross the line and come to my side at the same time?”

It was so simple, I was amazed it took so long to figure it out. Everybody else was bickering over their imaginary lines while my partner and I swapped spots and broke the game.

About two or three other people crossed the line. But in their scenario, there was a clear winner and loser. We were the only pair to come up with this solution. In the end we both conceded by crossing the line, but we also both came out on top because we both got what we wanted.

There you go. Think outside the box. Open your eyes. The answer is right in front of you.

There is no Modern Romance

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Well I was wrong. It never lasts.

Walking along Bank Street the other day I noticed something that really made me feel pretty sad. The Swap Box at Bank and Sunnyside is gone. I don’t know how long it’s been down.

It looked like this back in the glory days.

In the fall I wrote a feature piece about the Swap Boxes and street art in Ottawa. I was even lucky enough to interview the artist Elmaks.

Bank and Sunnyside is an important intersection for Carleton students. It stands out in my mind as a huge staple of my time in Ottawa. It took a while for me to warm up to Ottawa back in first year. Walking up Sunnyside from res, past Haven Books, to the Second Cup and the Chip Wagon, walking past the Mayfair and over the bridge into the Glebe… I’m not the only one who did these things. And the Swap Box was one of the things that really made my heart melt. It put Ottawa in my good books.

I never really contributed anything worthwhile. I only ever have bus transfers and bobby pins in my pockets, but I put them in anyway.

And now there is nothing left. I’m just sad that other Carleton students wont get a chance to experience this beautiful little piece of Ottawa.

(Title inspired by my current favourite song: Modern Romance by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Lyrics here.)

Gemma Ward. Supermodel.

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Very good read. Not quite right for Del.ici.us

I just wanted to pass on this article about my favourite supermodel. “Gemma Ward, A Supermodel Betrayed” written by Sarah Horne for Page Six Magazine. I don’t usually like to wade in this kind of territory. But I think that it’s important for these kinds of articles to be kept in the pubic eye. It’s especially important from sources like Page Six who deal in that whole media/celebrity industry.

I used to love seeing pictures of Gemma Ward in Teen Vogue. She had this strange alien-like beauty, she always sounded very polite and sincere in interviews and she just seemed like a nice, normal girl from Australia who just happened to be one of the most influential and successful models of the moment.

I stopped buying Vogue and Teen Vogue a long time ago, but I have noticed that Gemma Ward hasn’t been in many pictures in any of the magazines that I flip through when I’m waiting in the check-out line at Shoppers. This article explains why.

It’s a very sad story about a cruel industry. And the fact that it happened to Ward makes it hurt even more. I feel so bad for this girl. I’m torn between wanting her to make a stellar comeback, or for her to throw it all at their feet and move on with her life. Again, a very important read from Page Six Magazine, here.

A Somber Celebration

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Photos from the funeral prosession in honour of Ottawa police Constable Eric Czapnik.

Walking home after my class yesterday, I noticed a huge crowd of people gathered on the sidewalk. I was just in time to see the funeral procession on the way to Lansdowne. There were endless rows of Mounties, police officers and firefighters all in a row along Campus Avenue waiting to begin. Just the sight of all of these men and women was enough to make me tear up. I saw police officers from Perth, Toronto, Kingston, Barrie, Cornwall and way more than I can remember. It was so nice to see all of them out in support. I wish I was at Bank and Sunnyside because I hear that the kids from Hopewell Avenue Public School came out to line the sidewalks. It was just an all around sad and somber day remembering and celebrating a fallen hero.

I feel like my journalist hat is never off. You’re always on call, always on the clock, always on deadline. You can’t really escape it, no matter how hard you try.

 

Auld Lang Syne

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Happy 2010!

Ringing in the new year with some new things. Yesterday I ordered a new keyboard for my laptop because the period key has been missing for about a month. I’ve gotten used to the little plastic knob instead. A new keyboard will be nice. I also ordered a new power adapter cord because the one I have right now doesn’t charge the battery. Everytime it gets unplugged, my laptop shuts down. I’ve taken to agressively saving word documents just in case of emergency.

So glad that I don’t have to deal with this on a regular basis. I’m happy to use computers as they come, and not look inside ever again. No wires, no problem.

Our Chihuahua puppy Veronica Corningstone helped too.

I also got a new phone to replace the one I lost in the library before Christmas break. New year, new phone. Endless possibilities.

Class of 2010

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This is what I did on Friday.

gradapp2

True Patriot Love

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Remembrance Day 2009 in the nation’s capital.

This year I spent Remembrance Day at the War Memorial in downtown Ottawa. Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were in attendance, along with the Prime Minister and the Governor General. Prince Charles and Michaelle Jean were both wearing stunning green* military uniforms. I was incredibly excited to see all these important people at the same time, on such an important day, at such a beautiful place, in our nation’s capital.

11/11/09

While Remembrance Day is an extremely emotional day, it is a mixture of sadness and happiness for me. On November 11, I am overwhelmed with patriotism. Half of me feels sad when remembering fallen soldiers, and half of me is happy because today Canadians are united in a great love for our country, all the amazing aspects and beautiful opportunities we have and everything that we can look forward to in the future.

11/11/09

The 21 gun salute, the jets that flew overhead, the veteran’s parade and seeing so many Canadians united together made my little heart feel like it would burst with pride and patriotism. Standing in a crowd of hundreds of shivering, poppy-wearing Canadians singing along together to O Canada was overwhelming. It was a beautiful moment, and I will never forget.

11/11/09

Update 11/13/09:
* Accoriding to this picture, and this picture, the uniforms appear to be black. They looked green from where I was standing.

 

Big Thoughts Hurt My Brain

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When Free Association meets Stream of Consciousness.

I was lying in bed last night and I had one of those moments when you start thinking something simple like “I wonder if there are any good movies playing this weekend.” and it mutates into “I wonder if I should buy my own website domain.” 

My mind just started to wander through all the things I have to do and things I want to do and two hours later I was still thinking. What kind of leaders will my generation be when we are all grown up? We live our lives on Facebook and YouTube and have no concept of privacy but a great understanding of popularity and the power of view counts. What will we do in 30 years when somebody pulls out a cached store of Facebook photos of the next Prime Minister? What is wrong with us? I could go on. Uhh the internet. It freaks me out sometimes.

Things I was thinking about last night that I still remembered when I woke up this morning:

  1. I sold a textbook at Haven!! I was cleaning my room earlier this spring and I was just transfering my big textbooks from my side table to my bookshelf to my desk to the floor. After a while you just have to be honest with yourself and admit that as much as you loved your Intro to Archaeology class there is no way that you will ever pick up that thousand-page book for a little light reading any time soon. So I put them all up for sale and now when I get back to Ottawa I will have a little surprise waiting for me in the form of a cheque. Money in the bank.
  2. I want to start a podcast. I get about this far into starting in and then I get distracted. I won’t think about that now. I’ll think about that tomorrow.
  3. I want to try Tumblr. They say it’s “the easiest way to blog.” And they give you 21 reasons why you will love it. They make a convincing argument, but then again, I am easily impressed. What is up with Tumblr and Flickr and why don’t they want to buy a vowel? Ahh! Ok I just did it. I feel like I am spreading myself too thin. I would rather be really good at a few things than mediocre at a lot of things. I am going to justify this venture by saying that I want to try out a new blogging platform.  (I’m sorry WordPress. Don’t cast me out just yet. This is field research. Archaeology remember?)