The WHS, Mary, and Me.

It's been so long since my last post (where I left off my announcement of finding a new job) that it almost feels anti-climatic. That being said, the excitement for my new job continues and I couldn't be happier.

As of November 21, I've become the Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator for The Winnipeg Humane Society. This is a role I could never have imagined for myself, as quite honestly, I didn't know the need existed. As part of the Communications department, my job is to seek out opportunities to help raise the profile of The WHS and promote its programs and services. Event planning makes up the bulk of what I currently do in an effort to get our message "out to the people." The most positive result I can achieve is to increase pet adoption and to help create a better understanding of how pets can integrate and fulfill our lives.

As with many non-profits, it's necessary to take on as much responsibility as can be handled. But when you believe in a group of people as much as I believe in the people and mission at The WHS, I know I will work hard to do whatever I can to help improve the lives of all the animals in our care. There are so many good people doing good work here I feel I can't offer anything less.

One thing I've learned about my past history of volunteering, working, and interning at The WHS is that it doesn't take long before the urge to adopt a pet becomes too much to ignore. Hence, the latest addition to Heidi's and my "fur family." Tulip was a two-month old stray kitten when she was brought into the shelter. She was brought in without litter-mates, and it's anyone's guess to who her mother is.

A house, but not a home...

Maybe it was the spirit of giving that came upon us, but Heidi and I decided one evening in early December that rather than buy a Christmas gift for each other, we would adopt a kitten. The next day, I walked through the cat condo's at the shelter and peered inside each room. If you've ever adopted a pet, you don't know which animal you will choose until you see it (they're all so damn cute to begin with). I had a good hunch which kitten we would like as soon as I looked into Tulip's room. I snapped a photo with my iPhone and messaged it to Heidi.

Someone is too sleepy to say "Hi", I texted.
Awww. Just bring her home already...Please!!! Heidi replied.

The next day I brought our pet carrier to work and I did exactly that. But I left the responsibility of renaming the kitten to Heidi. She didn't know what name she would choose, but on her drive to the shelter to pick up our little bundle, Heidi decided on a perfect name. As the kitten was a Christmas gift to us both, what could be a better name than Mary, as in "Mary" Christmas.

Mary, ready for her "close up."

On December 8, Mary joined our lives and those of our other pets: Foxy and Babe (dogs), Bob and Sophia (cats), and Jimmy (cockatiel). The dogs endure Mary's constant play mode pretty well, and Bob, our eldest cat, is teaching Mary what appears to be proper judo technique. I've already trimmed Mary's claws as she's yet to realize the pain she induces when she uses them. It's dramatically cut down on the amount of retaliation that goes on between our parent animals. All in all, Mary has been with us less than a month and it's hard to consider a life without her.

With six pets, we're pretty much at our limit and feeding time is pretty chaotic. Needless to say, Heidi and I typically feed the animals first in order to eat in relative peace.

It's our only option. The animals clearly outnumber us two to one.

Here's a few more photos of Mary I hope you'll enjoy!

What's with the flash, Jack?

Now thatsa' lotta meatball!!
(meatball removed after photo)

There's like, noooo Dr. Suess on this shelf...

Change Is Good

Sometimes I have to stop for a second to remind myself how much my life has changed in the past few years. You'll know what I mean if you follow my blog with any regularity (if not, feel free to click back among my 90 posts or so). And yet again, another change is coming my way.

I'm starting a new job in a little over a week. The crazy part is that I've barely got my feet wet in the role I am leaving, but I know my new position will fit like a comfy sweater. I get to return to a great group of people and an organization that is close to my heart.

I have several people to thank for the opportunities I've had these past four months. Topping the list is my current employer, Prophet Business Group Ltd. Before I was chosen as their Communications and Marketing Specialist, the two partners in this company had the foresight and willingness to shape the chosen candidate for the role. They knew there was risk involved if things didn't work out, but realized the reward if it did.

Part of their winning strategy was to enlist top-notch communications and public relations strategist, Adam Dooley of Dooley Communications, to mentor me in the early stages. From my first day at Prophet, Adam has provided focus and direction to my work and I've accomplished a lot in a short period of time. The work I have done with Adam's guidance has benefitted my employer and me personally. He's been a fantastic mentor and a true professional.  

I owe a great deal of thanks to Randy Wozny and Diane Lee Sousa at Prophet for allowing me to begin my career with them. Prophet is filled with an excellent team of energetic and professional software consultants and network services personnel to which there is no comparison in Winnipeg. Prophet will only continue to grow and prosper under the guidance of these two people as it moves forward. They have been very understanding of my decision to leave and happy to know where I am headed next.

Note: I have been guilted into baking them a batch of buns which I am taking to work tomorrow; a small price to pay to help dull the unpleasant news (food is a great bridge-builder), in my opinion.

It's never an easy decision to leave a place where you are welcome and your work is appreciated. It took a lot of soul-searching to decide to leave a solid company and a great group of people. But after a late-evening discussion with Heidi, and a hastily prepared résumé, I took a chance earlier this month to seek a job that is better suited to my interests. I'm very excited to get started and to let you know where it is once it's been officially declared. I am bringing the same energy and willingness to learn to my new employer that has brought me to where I am today.

Stay tuned to find out where I'm headed once I've dipped my toe in the water.  ;)

A Garden of Memory

As I get older I've come to realize that I've made an unconscious effort to recreate parts of my childhood. I'm not cavorting around the house re-enacting scenes from the Empire Strikes Back with my Star Wars toys or anything (possibly fun to do, but caught outside the presence of a niece or nephew is a sign to call in professional help), but I'm building specific past-times into my life that my parents once held domain. I change my own motor oil in my car, I bake bread using my mom's old bread pans, and I plant flowers and vegetables, for example.

Above is a picture taken in 2007 of my garden when I lived in Winnipeg. This little strip garden allowed me to grow tomatoes, carrots, peas (trained to climb sticks and fishing line to reduce sprawl), beans, radishes, garlic, and marigolds – to help keep out pests. I also had two 24x36 inch wood crates in which I planted basil, oregano, thyme, and chives.

And these were just the edible portions of my little green thumb.

I took a lot of pride in them as I had planted each from seed. I set up lights in my basement for the seedlings to take root, and by June, I'd have planted the seedlings into the ground. I was always fascinated to see my plants at their full growth stages by the end of summer. They tasted fantastic, and familiar. Not familiar in the way foods should taste. That's the least we can ask for, especially if we get them from a grocery store. But these foods evoked memories in me that I had forgotten.

As long as I can remember my family has grown a garden. The garden we had as kids was about 15x30 metres in size and it grew a lot of food. We also had a separate potato patch at my grandmother's double that size. It was a lot of work, but when the whole family contributed, well, you've heard the saying, "many hands make light work." We probably had the energy to do the work because we ate healthy. My mom still grows a garden, but on a smaller scale. As she has gotten older, I asked her once if she still has the energy to plant a garden. I recall she laughed and said something to the effect of, "I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't have one."

I always get a weird, transportive feeling when I eat fresh vegetables from a garden. I especially love carrots straight out of the ground. I pull out a carrot, brush the dirt off, run water out of a hose to wash it, and take a bite. The flavour sends me back several decades every time, even more decades as I get older. I recall my dad used to laughingly call me "Bugs" when he saw me do this (what parent didn't). It's one memory I will always keep close to my heart.

The home in which I live does not have an appropriate area in the yard to grow vegetables. I also have dogs now and they likely would, by no fault of their own, be curious enough and haphazard enough to destroy it. This year, my wife's uncle down the street tilled an area of his lawn for my wife and I to use. I planted a few things, but most importantly, several rows of carrots. When the time came to eat a fresh carrot out of the ground, I pulled it from the earth, cleaned it off, took a bite, and was immediately sent back to my youth.

The taste of memory makes me smile every time.

The Gravity of Apple

Finally, at 5:30 p.m., August 24, 2010, I looked into my hands with tired eyes at my iPhone 4. I had just completed a marathon wait of over eight hours to own this treasured device.

I know, crazy, right? But I was one of hundreds who came every day to Winnipeg's Apple Store just to have a chance (yes, a chance) of owning an iPhone 4. Apple stores across the world easily ran out of iPhone's before they did customers. By the time I was guided into the store to get mine, there were only about a dozen iPhone's remaining for the day. The only memories I have of waiting in line for anything before this was for rock concert tickets in the early 1990's before the advent of online ticket sales.

For me, this best describes the emotion Steve Jobs intentionally/unintentionally created for his products. They are rock stars, and if you owned anything Apple, you were part of a kinship that stretched across the entire planet. This kinship was never more strongly felt than with Steve Jobs' death on October 5, 2011.

I first heard the sad news on that harbinger of Breaking News, Twitter. I tapped into my feed to blithely scan the days events to see @glendaollero, a former college classmate, simply express, "Oh, Steve. :((("

The world had known that Steve had resigned from Apple as its CEO six weeks earlier due to his health. I felt the worst had occurred, and sadly, I was right. Steve had lost his valiant fight with cancer. I immediately switched the television to CNN. Reports and tributes poured in from millions of people who thought of Steve like he was the beloved uncle they never had time to spend with. People created memorials at the news and lit candles, left flowers, cards, and yes, apples, at Apple stores in cities all over the world.

Through the devices Steve created, many of us felt connected to his vision. Steve was a technological rebel whose innovations rose above (I think) even his own expectations. Apple's product reputation is built on the premise that, "they simply work." By merely adding electricity to an Apple device, it lived up to your expectations within minutes.

A caveat. I've only ever owned Apple computers, but it's for the reason that I just described above. By simply adding electricity, Apple devices have given me, and millions of others, years of virtually stress-free computing (the one time I thought my iMac had died, it had become unplugged). None of my Apple products have ever failed to a point of repair. Reliable software updates and product improvements have made this a reality, and the only Apple product I no longer use is my first, bubble-shaped, iMac G3. I no longer use it because it was stolen years ago during a break-in. Thieves typically have a sharp eye for quality.

Thomas Edison designed inventions that captured electricity and improved the lives of hundreds of millions in the process. Steve Jobs captured the same innovation at Apple and seized the interest and imagination of the entire world.

@RIPSteveJobs  1955-2011

  

A Good Man From My Hometown

Guy Vanderhaeghe moved away from our hometown the year before I was born. Unfortunately for me, I did not discover Guy's writing until my early 30's. Over four decades later, I met him in person last night.

The first novel that I read of Guy's was, The Last Crossing. This work is a trademark of what he does so well: weaving the history of the Canadian west into compelling and engaging fiction. It had been a long time since a book had energized my imagination, and Guy's writing reminded me of the fantastic story-telling that I had been missing for so long.

I soon picked up, The Englishman's Boy, and I was delighted several years later when the Creative Writing class I was enrolled in would study the novel as part of Red River College's Creative Communications program. The Englishman's Boy was equally as enjoyable as my first introduction to Guy's work, but I wanted more works from this eminent author.

That time has arrived.

Guy visited Winnipeg as part of THIN AIR, the Winnipeg International Writers Festival. If the reading he gave from A Good Man last night is any indication, Guy's new novel is another brilliant example of character development and excellent visual storytelling.

I bought A Good Man during last night's THIN AIR festivities and walked across the stage to ask Guy to sign my copy. I shook his hand and introduced myself.

"We share the distinction of coming from the same hometown," I said.
"Oh, really? What's your last name?" Guy answered.
"Berg," I replied, "B-E-R-G." I sometimes do this as my surname comes out sounding like, "bird."
"Hmm, I don't know that one," Guy replied, "But I left town in 1968. It's changed since then."

I was nervous as hell to talk to this man whose writing I admired so much. I was tongue-tied a couple of times, but we talked for a minute or so before I realized the line of people behind me patiently waiting to talk to Guy as well. I was caught off-guard when he asked how I would like my copy of his book dedicated. I hadn't thought that far ahead. He wrote, "To Greg. Best wishes, Guy Vanderhaeghe."

I told Guy that his writing had re-sparked my interest in reading many years ago – an interest I thought I had lost. Guy, in polite form, thanked me for the compliment. I said that I was very excited to read his latest work, and I shook his hand again and returned to my seat. I opened his book and began to read. A Good Man immediately sucked me in and I read several passages until the intermission ended.

As I write this, Guy is on a plane to Toronto in support of, A Good Man. Guy, it was an honour to meet you. Best of luck on your tour and I'm positive your latest novel is headed for great success.

A Story Written In Fire

As fires go, it could have been much, much worse.

Last Tuesday night my wife and I were alerted by a neighbour that sparks were hitting the exterior of our home. Several trees had grown into the hydro wires outside our back yard, and the branches (with help from the incessant rain) were causing the current to come off the wire.

I went outside into our backyard to get a better sense of the danger. The night air smelled like a campfire. The gusting north wind was pushing sparks and tree embers against the side and roof of our home. I called 911, and within five minutes the street was filled with members of Selkirk's Volunteer Fire Department. The tree burned in two places as the fire crew soaked the branches with water from their truck. The fire was out. The immediate danger had passed.

A member of Manitoba Hydro entered our back yard and did his best to assess the damage with his flashlight. It was cold, wet, windy, and dark. The time and weather conditions prevented immediate action. But at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, three members of Manitoba Hydro were in our back yard formulating a plan. There was little to no room for their equipment to trim away the offending branches, so a decision was made to hire an arborist with the proper tools to get the job done.

On Thursday morning, the scream of chainsaws and cracking of tree limbs filled the morning air. Around mid-afternoon, the job and clean-up was complete. There would be no repeat of what we saw 36 hours earlier.

My wife and I thank our neighbour, Holly, who alerted us to the fire. We extend our sincerest thanks to the Selkirk Volunteer Fire Department who dealt with this fire before it got out of hand. Their professionalism is not lost in their volunteer capacity. Many thanks to Alan from Manitoba Hydro who oversaw the tree removal work from start to finish. He understood our concerns for further complications, and because of his attention, Alan and his colleagues at Manitoba Hydro fixed the problem in the timeliest and safest manner possible.

Selkirk's local professionals did an excellent job, but I hope my wife and I don't need them again any time soon. If we do, I know we can rely on them.

The Long Road Home

Driving home from work today I listened to an excerpt from Sidney Crosby's press conference held this afternoon in Pittsburgh. With the NHL hockey season soon sputtering to life, there was no shortage of commentary if one of hockey's greatest talents would return to the ice for the 2011-2012 NHL season.

I'm sure were it not for the clicking of camera shutters, you could have heard a pin drop as "Sid the Kid" opened his mouth to speak, and as he did, Sidney put to rest months of speculation to one of the most storied cases of a sports-related concussion; and it's far from over. It wasn't what hockey fans were hoping to hear, but it was a message that would only be believed if it came from the source.

Sidney Crosby won't be taking to the ice with his Pittsburgh Penguins this NHL season. Flanked by his doctor and the team's GM, Crosby revealed that he needs time for a complete recovery before he can confidently return saying, "I think it's important to get back to where I need to be. And if not, we've seen it many times, you'll get re-occurring issues and I definitely want to stay away from that."

One moment in the conference stood out for me the most. After Crosby provided an update of his condition, he gave the public a small dose of what it needed to hear. Crosby advocated for education of concussions and the frequency of which head hits occur in his game saying, "We've got to make steps to help avoid them."

Canadians love hockey. The game has a unifying effect. But if in the manner of which it is played it removes our best and most exciting talent, the point of the game will soon be lost. We raise some of our youth to excel in sports to their highest degree and then turn a blind eye to what should be tearfully obvious rules to implement. Of the two hits that have taken Crosby out of the game (for now), neither was likely intended to have the effect that they did. But intentional or not, smashing an opponent's face against a half inch thick piece of plexi-glass, or blind-siding a player in the head at center ice in a national game must stop. Anything that could be done to make hockey less of a contact sport should be encouraged and embraced. It needs to happen as soon as possible in order to move up through the younger generations, otherwise the talent we try to nurture will not be seen as athletes but simple entertainment.

There will always be a public thirst for press conferences that draw attention to the athletes we idolize for their achievements. Let's hope in a future not far from now that any new attention can focus on accomplishments, not status updates to what should have been a preventable body injury.

RRC: Two Years After, First Day for Some

I couldn't help but smile today as I thought of the new batch of Cre-comms filing into Princess Street classrooms for their first day of studies at Red River College. They may not know it yet, but they're about to have the best two years of their young lives.

I chose Public Relations for my major in my second year of Creative Communications, and one of the last exercises I was given was a speech writing assignment. The speech was on a school-related topic, and I wrote it for a classmate who read it aloud in front of the class. The topic was on helpful tips a Cre-comm graduate might give to a group of first year students. Themes in the speech touched on time management skills, being a parent while attending school, personal motivation, a social life (or lack thereof), and getting the most out of what RRC has to offer.

One theme that stood out for me the most as I wrote the speech was the type of people you will meet. Your instructors, college staff, and classmates are about to become a big part of your life from now on, but always know that the challenges you will encounter are shared challenges. All of your instructors want what is best for you, and they will teach you the best way they know how in order for you to succeed. The person sitting beside you in class will know exactly what you're going through because they are experiencing the same challenges with you. I would say "good luck," but it's not about luck. Help each other, work hard, and all of you will do well. No question about it.

I know it sounds cliché to say, but I don't know how else to say it.

Except this.

Enjoy your time. The next two years will speed by. The crazy thing is, no matter how hard it becomes, you will miss it once it's all said and done.

I am, A Man Without a Facebook

I am what most would call a late adopter. Up until last week, I still had not seen, The Social Network. Even though the movie came home with many awards at the time, I was left with the thought that the movie was just OK. Even more strange to some, I still resist the urge to create a Facebook profile on the 750 million strong social network site. I must admit, the urge is not a very strong one.

Don't get me wrong, Facebook has brought millions of people together and its prominence and acceptance counts for something. It is a force for good in the world even amidst all the controversy. I simply have many other things that I enjoy doing, and maintaining another personal social media presence is not a high priority. That being said, I look forward to joining Google+ once the door is open to all, and I think Twitter is simply awesome. Social media is only going to grow upward as the desire to express ourselves grows more and more.

Many people ponder as to how this may affect us in the future. One of the worries is that person to person social skills are being supplanted by this new technology, and you would have to be living on the fringes of civilization to not notice: we provide updates to our whereabouts when we drive (in the face of law), we allow ourselves to be interrupted anyplace or time, or we walk down the sidewalk in a trance staring at a 2.5 inch screen, to name a few. There are many examples of poor social media behaviour without even mentioning adultery, though that is a big one.

It's not fair to entirely demonize social media. It's here to stay and if properly used it is a major force for good in the world. Just this morning, I came across a study that showed virtual conversations can help people with autism improve their social abilities. I sometimes wish positive stories such as this gained more attention in mainstream media so that the listening public might hear about them more.

All of this really started today as I came across a funny – and very well-produced – schtick that is a humorous take on a Mel Gibson film called, The Man Without a Face. If you only click on one of the links in this post, click here to see it. And no, I was not consulted for any advice during the production of this film.

Just in case you were wondering.

Obama Tweets Into a Brick Wall

Two days ago, in an effort to encourage a resolution of the US debt crisis, US President Barack Obama tweeted out to his followers, "ask them (Republican Congressmen) to support a bipartisan solution to the debt crisis." Using an #compromise hashtag, Obama hoped to energize Twitter-handy Americans to send out a message of cooperation to their congressmen hopelessly in deadlock over the debt crisis.

The result? Obama lost over 36,000 followers. Who knew politics could be so divisive...

Of Obama's more than 9 million followers I suppose this is merely a drop in the bucket, but if I lost 36,000 of anything I would still analyze why it happened and try to avoid it from happening again. But more than anything, I feel this latest debacle south of the border is more proof of the divide between Americans.

As I've learned that the US has raised its debt limit 78 times since 1960, I had to wonder why it's a big deal. By borrowing more money, the US would secure its AAA bond rating, but, of course, the decision would raise its debt higher. Since 2002, the debt limit has gone from $6.4 trillion to what it is now (page 14). To be fair, $14 trillion dollars is an unfathomable amount of money compared to the speck in the universe of money I will ever make in my lifetime. But being militarily involved overseas fighting two wars since Sept. 11 has accounted for nearly $1.3 trillion of US debt alone. That's a good chunk of change right there, but not the only issue the US has been forced to deal with in recent years. The mortgage crisis gave the US economy a permanent bruise, entitlements are on the rise as baby-boomers retire, and no one can foresee a complete US pull from the middle east any time soon.

The last thing President Obama wants to do is borrow more money. This crisis is political brinksmanship to make Obama look like he can't get anything done. As electioneering for the 2012 presidential election is already sputtering to life (the election is only 15 months away after all), the Republicans are simply looking to kick more sand in Obama's face.

It's a bitter pill to swallow, and they do it simply because they can.

As of this morning, there appears to be progress. There's only two days left to agree on a plan, but there had better be a solution before the stock markets in Asia open for business a few hours from now and especially before North American stock markets open on Monday morning. If the stock sell-offs late last week were any indication, beware the Ides of August could become a mantra.

Out With the Old, In With the New

One of my favourite things to do in the summer is cycling. In an earlier post, I showed you how my interest for cycling began at an early age with my little three-wheeler, Thistle. Even as an adult, I take every opportunity to go for a quick spin to get a breath of fresh air or work out a few cobwebs in my brain.

I'm a bit of a stickler for how my bike and I interact. Once I plant myself onto my seat, I need to feel secure in how all of the parts operate. I have to feel connected to it. So, when I realized about a week ago that I finally needed a new pair of shoes for cycling, I decided to go a different route and install a set of clipless pedals.

I quickly discovered that there are many different types of clipless pedal available. In the past, I've been a bit hesitant to have my foot locked to my bike. One of the real fears is that in a moment of surprise or panic I won't be able to quickly "un-clip" from the pedal. When this happens, gravity takes over and a rider will plunk to terra-firma and onto his or her side. In the least, it's embarrassing; at worst, a rider can fall into harm's way. When I built my bike over a decade ago, I chickened out and opted for a nylon strap toe clip for my pedal (though I still managed to fall over on at least two occasions during that learning curve).

So far, I love my new Shimano pedals. I've rolled out with them about four times now, and I will put them to the test again this afternoon at Birds Hill Provincial Park. As an added measure of safety, the tech who installed them on my bike at Bikes & Beyond–a store I would recommend to any cyclist (excellent customer service)–set up the tension on the pedal to unclip on the easiest setting. As my comfort level improves, I can tighten the tension on the pedal to hold my shoe tighter and thus eliminate any accidental un-clipping from my bike–this were to happen at all, it would only be on the upstroke as this adds to the downward force on the crank as I pull up on my shoe thus enhancing the mechanical advantage.

That was far too technical. I hope it made sense and I got it right.

So, if you're thinking about an upgrade to your current ride, I highly recommend this one. The only issue I've had so far was that I found more trouble getting my shoe into the clip than getting out of it. A reverse problem that likely won't find me laying on my side because I couldn't clip out of my pedal in time.

Ride safe (if you're so inclined), and enjoy your summer!

It's not Science Fiction, It's Just Flash CS5

So, as I boldly prepare to begin my new career on July 11, I've been keeping myself busy with non-profit volunteer work for The Winnipeg Humane Society and iDE Canada. I recently completed a 2'x4' banner for iDE that will be on display at Birds Hill Park during the Winnipeg Folk Festival. It's bright red with a cornucopia of images inside the outline of a treadle pump. If you're at the WFF, check it out. It turned out really well and iDE's staff appreciated the effort.

The project that I'm working on for The WHS has put me in unchartered territory (not TerriTori). As far back as last February, I offered to put together a cat spay and neuter video for the animal shelter. The Director of Communications & Public Affairs was happy to accept my offer, and she left me with an open deadline for its completion. One thing that slightly scared me about our discussion was when I asked her what type of content might be of the most help. One of the first sentences that came from her mouth was, "maybe something with a little animation."

Eek. It wasn't essential, but I like to give people what they ask for whenever possible.

Creative Communications taught me many things, but animation is not part of the program. If a student is so inclined, he or she can certainly use it in a project, but CreComm involves other essentials. But if CreComm has taught me anything, it was to be resourceful and maintain a desire to learn.

This is my first Adobe Flash CS5 effort (and I know there is better work out there), but I think The WHS will enjoy the end result. All of the more active scenes in the animation are complete, but now I am working to resolve a few "artifacting" issues that have cropped up when I export to QuickTime. As usual, the Internet has been my unfailing tutor during this experience; I couldn't have done it without you O' Knower of All Things! All I have left to compile are a few "call to action" scenes about how The WHS' Spay and Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) is there to help cat owners.

Above is a screenshot from one of the scenes in, "Spay and Neuter Is Better Sooner." I have yet to add audio, but my music choice will be excerpts from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville." Narration will (hopefully) be supplied by my niece. Failing that, I'll offer any 9-12 year old kid ten bucks and a milkshake to read the copy whilst I record it for use in the animation. :)

When The WHS chooses a proper time to include my little nugget on its website, I'll tweet the link for you to check it out. Until then, take care, and happy Canada Day!

Food, Our Future, and Dessert

I take food for granted. The majority of people in the developed world likely do as well. Our next meal is as close as our kitchen refrigerator or a trip to a restaurant. If you are fortunate enough to receive a regular paycheque it's relatively easy to sustain yourself. In many cases the food you have consumed has traveled a great distance to enter your mouth. In Canada, it's easy to note that much of our fruit throughout the year comes from places on the other side of the continent or even the globe. It may not be long before this becomes the exception and not the rule.

There are expected to be 7 billion people on planet Earth in 2012; by 2050, over 9.2 billion. As many people in the world already subsist on very little to eat, humanity is going to need a lot more food, and fast.

A few weeks ago, I discovered what I consider a very sensible situation analysis regarding the subject of food scarcity and sustainable agriculture. The paper quite clearly explains our current situation but offers no single solution. This is no cop-out. World food production is an enormous subject to assess and there are unique challenges in each region. Those who are quick to dismiss GM-modified foods take note: they will find a place at our table if food production is to double in the next few decades. This research is incomplete, but it is a necessary avenue to explore. Science has enriched our lives in the past and we cannot discount its efforts, though any developments and discoveries must be closely monitored.

Due to the efforts of philanthropy, lending financial assistance to people in under-developed countries in order to develop local food production has also been met with success. This will hopefully increase in popularity. But climate change will be a wild card in all of this. If worldwide droughts and floods continue–or increase in regularity–as populations increase, the difficulties we feel today will worse in the future.

It's an easy argument that Canadians are eating more than our bodies need. The average adult needs about 2,000 calories per day in order to be healthy. I took this simple online calculator and it determined that I am consuming approximately 2600 calories per day for my current weight. I'm overweight for my height and age, so it suggested a minimum of 500 calories less per day in order to begin to reduce body fat. This was not an entire surprise, but knowing that excess food consumption is a factor in contributing to food scarcity, I have a new way of looking at things. It's almost prophetic.

Entrée's should be treated just like dessert. Small–if at all–for the sake of us all.

Finding Niche-land

Two years ago I chose to enrol in one of the most respected programs that Winnipeg has to offer. And as of last evening, I hold in my hand a hard-fought piece of paper that officially declares my achievement in Red River College's Creative Communications program. In the past month I've seen several online comments from my classmates about our impending graduation. We've worked tremendously hard. It's a bittersweet time, but for many of us a new reality begins and we are faced with one of the biggest questions in our lives. Where do we want to work?

I, and as I learned of many of my classmates, have a wide range of interests. We may not yet feel that the world is our oyster–more like freshly-hatched newborn turtles scrambling to the safety of the ocean–but we must never forget that we've been taught well, and with a little self-reflection we will find an area of interest where we will excel. In CreComm, I chose from a course list that reflected my own interests and what I felt would provide the most value to my future employer. I chose Public Relations as my major, but on top of the required courses such as Journalism, Advertising, Media Production, and Oral Presentation, I chose:

*electronic desktop publishing

*image editing

*advanced website design

*non-profit communications

*freelance business management

*television documentary production

*photography

*and to top it off, a 200-page sci-fantasy novel

So how well will my course decisions deliver work to me overall? It ultimately depends on where I focus my energy and how I pursue my plan for employment.

My strongest interests are in food and music. Before I entered CreComm, I came very close to entering RRC's Culinary Arts program such is my love for food. I am always cruising the web looking for new ways to prepare food, and I am not afraid to try something different in the kitchen. I've learned to play a wide variety of stringed instruments and I even took cello instruction for three years before I entered college. I am eager to spend more time doing these things I love, and my plan is to focus my career efforts in one of these areas. In the coming weeks I will be visiting companies and organizations that fall into my sphere of interest. It's an exciting time for me and for those I will approach; I have a lot to offer.

My official RRC transcript arrived in the mail a short while ago. Seeing how well I had performed validated my efforts and performance in a program that, at times, can foster a love-hate relationship. But always when the dust settled, the former emotion held true. I look forward to finding the right employer for me. I've worked for many years in other jobs, but the past two years in college have re-molded me for something more purposeful. The same is for all of 2011's graduating class of which I am a part of. Our talents will find the niche for what suits us best.

My Bicycle Life

It's easy to take for granted how much of an influence the wheel has had on modern civilization–it's only been around for over 6,000 years. But apart from all of the utilitarian uses that man has found for its simple, but revolutionary design, there is one recreational invention that has incorporated the wheel most admirably: the bicycle. Bicycling is also my most favorite recreational activity, and it's one that I've had a long association with.

Like any child, I was introduced to self-propelled transportation at an early age by way of a tricycle. Seen above, it's name is, Thistle–and yes, that's a red bunny rabbit painted on the seat. I still find it hard to believe that a toy that I once used to race around the house with, day after day from morning 'til night, now does not reach past my knees. It's hard, rubber tires left black streaks across the floor from "burn-outs" (before I even knew what the term meant) as I accelerated to breakneck speeds down the hallway from room to room with my three-wheeled companion. Had I seen, The Wild One, I likely would have fastened a trophy to my handlebars in honour of Marlon Brando such was the way that I rode my trike.

If you are fortunate, the size of your bicycle will graduate along with you as you age. I can recall no less than four bicycles that I rode from adolescence to my teens. I rode a BSA, a few CCM's, and a 12-speed Supercycle from Canadian Tire. Up until I chose the 12-speed, all were carefully considered for their "ramping" capability. The local bicycle dealer and repairman was my mom's cousin so he was always very helpful in choosing the right bike for me and making the necessary repairs and tune-ups that I needed. I have always had an interest for bicycles, and I quickly learned how to take care of my own equipment early on: chain repairs, flats, shifter adjustments, and all the necessary bolt-tightening I learned how to do myself. Once I was in my twenties, I built bicycles from the frame up to save money and to apply the knowledge I already had. I still ride the three bikes that I rebuilt years ago, and they are just as loyal and reliable as the day they were built.

My Cannondale Killer V900 has had several upgrades over the years and it's light, aluminum frame was a popular choice with riders before aluminum frames hit the mainstream. This is my favourite trail bike and it's seen trails all around Winnipeg, Grand Beach, Riding Mountain, Birds Hill, Hecla, the Epinette Creek trail, and many more. I've since retired my Bonelli Nakiska to the basement for the most part and attached it to a trainer. On rainy days and in the winter, this is the best way I've found to stay in shape and still enjoy one of my favorite past-times. This bike has also seen lot of trail-riding and many kilometres up and down Wellington Crescent to Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg–a trip best made on a Sunday when the road is closed to vehicular traffic.

My most recent acquisition I rescued from a storage shed out at my family's farm in Saskatchewan. I don't know for sure the year it was made, but I would guess it's around 40 years old. It's steel rims, frame, and fenders (well, it was all made from steel back then) make it heavy to ride and there are no quick take-offs. One gear is all you get, but this CCM tracks smooth and is a joy to ride. I've lost count how many heads turn when I pop onto this bike for a quick ride to the grocery store to grab a grocery item or two. Only in the past few years has chrome made a come-back on what retailers are selling as "classic bikes". I have to admit my bike is far from original though. The frame used to be painted gold, but rust had taken hold in many areas and it seriously needed a facelift. Now, my antique "blackie" catches the eyes of many passers-by when they see this bike coming down the road. The seat is real comfy too – hard to find these days.

It's hard to know exactly what the future may hold for the bicycle. It's had such a wide and rich history up to this point. There's some pretty radical designs and ideas out there, but even in our technologically advanced age I don't see the bicycle disappearing any time soon. A few years ago, I can recall a radio documentary piece about bicycles that argued that for its size, weight, speed, and efficiency, the bicycle is possibly the most environmentally sound form of transportation ever constructed.

One thing is for sure; it's a lot of fun and beats walking.

And now, the end is near...

For the past three weeks, I’ve had the good fortune of interning at a branding agency in Winnipeg called, Blacksheep Strategy. I first heard of Blacksheep through my wife. Her coworker has a close friend who works at the agency, and to her, it sounded like a very good environment for me to share in. Once I did a little research into Blacksheep, I had to agree, and my advisor, Kenton Larsen, arranged the placement for me.

Blacksheep Strategy works in an interesting environment. A separate asset within these walls is the agency, Coupland Jeffrey. Coupland Jeffrey, “is the only national advertising agency in Canada focused exclusively on agriculture.” The two principals, Derrick Coupland and Russell Jeffrey, run a very friendly environment for their employees to work in. They’ve found a great group of people to meet their stated goal of helping their clients, "solve their branding problems." I've really enjoyed my time with them, and I hope I made a helpful contribution in Blacksheep's day-to-day activities. I've assisted in projects with large companies such as Monsanto, DEKALB, and Viterra. I was fascinated with what I learned in the research about these companies and how they represent their products. Their similar mission of increasing the quality and quantity of the world's food supply is admirable, and the science that is involved in much of this is simply amazing.

Today marks the end of my internship with the people at Blacksheep, but it also represents the final checkmark to my college curriculum. It’s hard to believe that two years have come and gone and that in a few weeks I will hold my college diploma in my hands. It has been tough going at times, but with the support of the people around me – family, friends, and peers – I was able to meet my academic and personal goals.

I am excited for what my future will bring and the people in my life with which I will share it.

Pair Vote for a Fair Vote?

A certain Canadian political party decided about eight years ago to drop the word "progressive" from its party name. In my opinion, a group of voters is now claiming the word for themselves, at least figuratively.

Pair Vote has a radical philosophy: make your vote count. The group is unapologetic in its stated first objective that it does not want Stephen Harper to obtain a majority government:

"Prevent a false majority by the Conservatives by swapping non-Conservative votes in swing ridings where Conservative party may win – this party is the least motivated to reform anything, and the only majority threat."

So how does Pair Vote hope to make a difference? Its creator's idea is simple, but it requires a leap of faith; if I vote for your political party in my riding, you must vote for my choice in yours.

The agreement has the ability to elect MP's who have historically had a large proportion of the vote, but no representation in the House of Commons. The demarcation lines of voter ridings (which seem to be redrawn at will by the ruling party) will begin to mean a whole lot less, and predictability will go out the proverbial window. It's a good first step toward proportional representation which has been the goal of many disaffected voters for years.

What Stephen Harper has said from the outset about this latest trip to the polls is likely true for many Canadians, "This is an election that no one wants." Given that Canadians haven't had a majority government since 2004, what exactly might this pattern represent?

There is always the tried and true answer of, not enough Canadians motivated to vote. This can manifest in several ways: the disaffected voter, the uninterested voter, uninspired politicians, or election timing, to name a few. With an inspired system such as Pair Vote and others that offer a choice for many who feel their individual vote won't change anything, Canadians are being asked to reassess the ways their vote can make a difference.

I am excited to see where this idea will go in the years to come.

The Limits of Time and Space

I am Canadian. No, I am not revisiting a popular slogan for a brand of beer, but many common things come to mind when my country is referenced.

A small sampling:

-friendly people

-free health care

-abundant fresh water

-hockey

-snow

-lots of open spaces

Unless you are a total urbanite, you're likely aware of the amount of elbow room many Candians have in comparison to other parts of the world. If you were born on the Prairies like myself, it's easy to take for granted how much space we have to live. I haven't been outside of my country much at all – a few trips to the U.S. , a honeymoon in Cuba – so I am amazed to see how people adapt to their surroundings in less-developed parts of the world compared to my own.

It was much to my amazement then when I came across this video from a Bangkok, Thailand food market. I couldn't have thought of a better title to introduce it.

The next time I feel claustrophobic in the grocery aisle, I'll have to remember how easy it is for me to buy "my daily bread" without the threat of being dismembered.

Fini.

That day has come. My final class in Creative Communications ended yesterday at 4 p.m. Two years have come and gone in what at times has felt like a blink of an eye, but in the next moment felt like an anchor that threatened to pull me under. Red River College as an anchor had a second purpose. It gave me firm station in those same turbulent waters so I couldn't drift off into the unknown.

In the past few weeks I've had the pleasure of working on one of my last major assignments, Festive Al. I made the final corrections to my documentary yesterday afternoon and submitted it to our creative arts award ceremony called the CCMA's. There are so many talented people in my class I can't honestly predict what my chances are in winning (probably slim), but a nomination would make me just as happy.

While I have enjoyed many of my assignments in these past two years, the work I did on Festive Al was a great way to wind up this last week of classes. I probably spent at least 40 hours logging footage, editing, and converting files – not to mention all the field work I did with my subject, Al Simmons. As entertainers go, Al was a fantastic person to work with. His professionalism, attention to detail, and sense of humour were a great source of inspiration for my documentary, and for me personally. His passion for laughter and his creative genius could be written about extensively. He has so many wonderful stories from his 40+ year career that someone should propose to write his biography. Future IPP anyone???

Above are a few screen-shots from my documentary. Festive Al was a labour of love. I had five hours of footage to create what needed to be at a minimum of eight minutes in length. Festive Al is fourteen minutes long, and it could have easily been extended. All told, it shows all that it needed to show; one man learning Canada's second official language for his upcoming performances at Festival du Voyageur.

Shutterbug Inspiration

Whether it's an opinion, strategy, or frame-of-mind, perspective is everything. This is probably why I enjoy the photography class I have been in since January. As I've viewed my surroundings through the lens, I've been able to choose what the eye of the beholder sees.

I couldn't resist buying my own DSLR once I began to appreciate the difference that a good quality camera can make, and the results I've had so far are amazing. Sure, there are higher quality cameras out there, but for a novice shooter like myself, my Rebel T1i is light years ahead of my five-year-old Canon PowerShot. It's still a good little camera though.

Our class has the opportunity of using a controlled studio space as well. Here, our instructor shows us the finer points of light direction and controlling the amount of flash that appears as we take our shots. I can't believe how much I've learned about aperture setting, shutter-speed, and focal length in the past few months. These are terms I've heard in passing, but now I actually understand what they mean.

All of this led me to create my very own Flickr account a few weeks ago. I realized I have a lot of pictures to share and there is such a large community of photographers on the web. So far, I've just posted a few shots from various travels I've made. The photos were taken with my trusty little PowerShot, but soon I will post new photos taken with my DSLR.

I hope you enjoy them!

A Different List Five

A classmate of mine had an excellent idea for a blog last year and I couldn't resist piggy-backing on the name she gave it.

Twitter turned five years old this week, though I hesitate to call something old when it is actually so young. Biz Stone has been touring the talk show circuit all this week and still seems surprised at how much his social media invention has revolutionized communication. I had to wonder though. What was happening on this week five years ago when Twitter first hit the collective consciousness?

1. March 20, 2006 Separation anxiety?

2. March 21, 2006 Are humans more powerful than asteroids?

3. March 22, 2006 Who knew that the word pandemic would rise and fizzle so quickly?

4. March 23, 2006 There's no dip with this chip.

5. March 24, 2006 Oh, LEGO. Is there anything you can't do?

I think social media is brilliant. I am not fully immersed in it, but at this point I have more than dipped my toe into the water. There's a simple beauty in Twitter's 140 character limit to be convincing and succinct. And thanks to tools like bit.ly, it's very easy to drive a user to your website.

I feel Twitter is superior due to the managing capacity that Facebook seems to involve. If your resources are low, this simple two-way communication is an excellent place to begin, and you can drive visitors to your website and encourage them to comment. If you don't have this minimum set-up, you should probably fire your website-builder.

It's a safe guess that none of the stories above were "tweeted" back in 2006. Would they be now? Except for the last two items, the rest of the issues are pretty complicated subject matter. Our modern day challenge is to disseminate and "whittle down" this information so that a wider audience can appreciate and understand it. More and more organizations are adapting to this style of communication. I'm no authority on the matter, but I predict Twitter will continue to expand its role and eventually contribute more to organizations' bottom line while creating closer engagement with their audiences. It will create a more educated and informed world, all in 140 characters or less.

Unfortunately, we'll still have to navigate around the Kardashian's and Sheen's of the world.

A Wave of Heartbreak and Death

tsunami /tsoo-nah-mi/. n. a tidal wave caused by an earthquake or other disturbance. – ORIGIN Japanese, 'harbour wave'.

Natural disasters have a way of catching people when they least expect it. The magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 hit its citizens as they were about to wind down for the evening. They would have sat down to meals in a few short hours; men, women, and children would have later retired for the night to start a new day. A new day came, but it was filled with destruction as cities and villages were reduced to rubble and had buried people where they stood. Nations began humanitarian efforts that exist more than a year later and will continue indefinitely. A tsunami swept over the coast of Haiti on that day as well, but it's damage was minute in comparison to what Japan has seen in recent days.

I woke up last Friday, March 11, ate breakfast, showered, and got ready to come to the college. As I turned on the television to catch up on the overnight news, I was troubled by what I saw. Breaking news was still coming in, so much of the Western World had yet to understand what had happened, but Japan had suffered an earthquake. I turned off the television and felt a sickening feeling build in my gut. I knew this would be a catastrophe. I kissed my wife goodbye and wished her a good day before I left. As she still lay in bed, I was compelled to tell her what I had seen.

"Japan has hit by an earthquake. 8.9 I think. It's pretty bad."

"Oh no."

"A wave came onto land and wiped away whole towns. It doesn't look good."

As I turned to leave, we expressed our reciprocal, "be safe, I love you," to each other, and I left for the day. When I came home later that evening, I entered the living room to discover she had been glued to the television all day. Nearly seven-hundred kilometres of coastal Japan had suffered a direct hit from the tsunami and there was an untold amount of people unaccounted for. But a man-made threat had entered the arena while I had been away from home. Several nuclear reactors at a Fukushima generating station were severely damaged and clouds laced with radioactivity had dispersed into the air.

I write this one week later and the situation has gone from "worst-case" to whatever can be described beyond that qualifier. Foreign nations are pulling their citizens out of Japan as some of its cities are in survival mode due to rolling blackouts, food shortages, and an exodus of Japanese evacuating out of an area that some say could become the next Chernobyl. It may even be worse. As per usual, the selfishness of stock markets don't take kindly to disaster regions and money is being ripped out of Japan's economy as well. It should be the stuff of filmmaking, but this is real life and death.

I like to set off my posts with an image–something that relates to the content I've written below. There is little I could contribute to the discussion by doing this, so I opted out on this occasion. There's more than enough images of Japan's heartbreak in the public sphere for everyone to see.

Grump to the Pump

Even if you don't drive a car, you've likely heard in the news about the recent spike in the price of gasoline. Due to a middle-east in turmoil (the go-to supplier and main repository of fossil-fuel energies) the price of a barrel of oil has once again topped $100. I, for one, am tired of being a passive hostage to the fluctuating cost of oil. Especially when we know as soon as its burned for energy its emissions harm our environment.

As a commuter, I know that I am part of the problem. But I am full of glee (yes, glee) about the options that are coming down the pipe from many of the world's automakers. I have never purchased a V8 vehicle in my life, nor do I feel they are even necessary for the private owner. I drive a four-cylinder, manual transmission, four-door car, and it has all the power I would ever need–probably all 90 per cent of the driving public needs, but I digress.

Electric cars are nothing new. They've been around since the late 19th century. But as soon as gasoline was used to propel us through the 20th century, the technology was virtually shelved. General Motors' EV1 received customer and critical acclaim in the late 1990's, but due to a promotion campaign that confused people, sales for the car never took off, and the cars were reduced to shrapnel.

Now in 2011, electric cars are making the news in full force. It's been a long time coming. A plethora of manufacturers are developing plug-in electric cars. See it for yourself once you begin to search around. Well-known automakers such as Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota, Chrysler, and Honda are getting into the EV (electric vehicle) game. Lesser-known manufacturers such as Zenn, Coda, Li-ion, Tesla, and Flybo-EV, among a slew of others (I'm sure) have finally "got it" and are preparing themselves for the coming new-world-order in personal transportation.

My four-cylinder car is only six years old, and it still has plenty of life. But as relatively economical as this car is, I know it is the last gasoline-powered vehicle I will ever buy. As excited as I was to buy it in 2005 (my first new car), I am far more excited for the EV car I will purchase in the coming years.

Oil is a finite resource that IS polluting our environment, I hope many people feel the same way and embrace this new technology once it hits the showroom floor.

The Web Awaits

Some of my past assignments in Web Design struck fear in the heart of this man (sorry for the second-person reference). Between all the new lingo I had to interpret (divs, AP divs, tags, ID's, padding), sometimes my brain felt like it was idling at 60 km/h when it should have been cruising at 100. I received a "B" on my last assignment for web design, so I'm not totally lost in the woods. But I want to knock my next assignment, "out of the park."

This will be the last assignment that our instructor gives us. I really want to have a strong finish for this course and for the program. The website is meant to be a portfolio for our work. In our previous class we were encouraged to look at other websites to get design inspiration from. There must be over a million websites out there by now, but here are a few that got my attention.

http://www.maurivan.com/

http://www.sohtanaka.com/

http://themeforest.net/item/london-creative-portfolio-blog-wp-theme/full_screen_preview/70613

When my site is complete, I will take screen-shots of the finished product for you to see. If I'm not mistaken, the assignment needs to be done by April 7.

Come check it out when the time comes!