Will students take action?

I really enjoyed writing this column on student activism towards the tuition increase at the U of O. Its interesting how you can learn so much from absolute strangers. Just goes to show that those behind the scenes are sometimes, if not most of the times, a lot more wise than we give them credit. Enjoy

http://www.thefulcrum.ca/blogs/blog/38619

Will students take action?
by Katherine DeClerq

Published: Nov 24

AT THE NOV. 22 Board of Governors (BOG) meeting it was decided that tuition would increase by an average of 4.3 per cent for the year 2011–12. Was this a surprise to students? Absolutely not.

Students from all faculties and programs gathered in the audience to watch as their representatives pleaded with the BOG to stand up to the government and not follow the precedent of increasing fees. Most of them held a sign that read “Tuition fees are too damn high”. With cries of “shame”, these students watched as the necessity of institutional finances outweighed the needs of the students.

After the meeting, I had a nice chat with a man who was operating the camera for the BOG. He looked at me with a smile, shook his head, and said in an accent, “If this had been done in my country, we all would have been in the streets and in front of Parliament. We would not have took it, especially with an election coming.” And with this, the wise gentleman proceeded to pack his equipment and leave.

As I walked home, I realized he was right. Yes, we have protested in the streets, courtesy of the Nov. 5 CFS “Drop Fees” rally—but that was an organized activity in which less and less students took part. Now, we are participating in a campaign that gets students to sign petitions in hopes that a list of names and email addresses will be enough to change the government’s mind. At the BOG meeting, those signs that students held were only used twice, and it was in silence.

And so, I ask you: whose fault is it that our tuition is increasing? Is it the administration, who is trying to balance a budget? Is it the government, who is not paying attention to the student generation? Or is it the students, who are too lazy to get the government to listen?

The man with the camera is right. We have an election coming. Are you really ready to take a stand, or is complaining enough for you?

The art of an ipod battle

Ivory Antenna participated in an Ipod Battle yesterday to support community radio, competing for CHUO 89.1 FM against Reel Radio in Gatineau. Myself, my co-host, and a friend decked out in business attire (with my co-host dressing up as an L.A. bad-ass) to represent team "Guilty Pleasures".

This was out first Ipod Battle, and it was quite an interesting experience. For those who have never heard of such an event, you basically jump in a boxing ring with another team and battle with music. Each team plays 30 seconds of music and you dance ridiculously, and whichever team gets the loudest cheers, wins. It is quite intimidating, and we did not drink enough beforehand, I can tell you that.

My experience was as such: We jumped in the ring, won the rock-paper-scissors game to start first (kudos to my scissors!) and started with "99 problems". It was a success! We started to dance, not knowing what we were doing, but people were clapping and dancing. Our next song was a good one, and a guy jumped in the ring and started grinding with my co-host--who took it rather well. haha, we got an A for that! And with our last song, we chose wrong. No one really danced, no one cheered...it was kind of awkward. So...we lost. And that was it. Three songs and it was over for the Guilty Pleasures.

BUT, it was a riot. We all decided before going into the ring that we were just going to have fun, do out best, and if we lose...oh well. I personally had a blast acting like an idiot.

The thing is,we all were so nervous, but we succeeded. We tried something completely new and ridiculous...and it felt good! We supported our radio station and found out that rock music is not battle-worthy! Fun times, fun times!

Is the U of O really that bad?

http://www.thefulcrum.ca/blogs/blog/38059

Column, November 17: In response to the university rankings published in Maclean's and the Globe and Mail

Is the U of O really that bad?

by Katherine DeClerq

Published: Nov 17

MACLEAN’S MAGAZINE HAS come out with their annual Canadian university rankings. These results are supposed to help high school students decide where they think the “right fit” would be for their post-secondary education. While the idea of ranking universities is a good one, the way in which they are judged may not be.

The University of Ottawa has consistently received poor ratings compared with other universities in both the Maclean’s University Edition and the Globe and Mail’s University Report. Whether the publication judges food services, teaching quality, or overall university atmosphere, the U of O has always been at the bottom of the list. And my question is why?

Who exactly are they interviewing, and what are they asking? If Acadia University is rated as having a better reputation than “Canada’s University,” then I want to know exactly why! Each report includes their methodology, but it doesn’t give any specifics. And in Maclean’s, it was the staff that collected some of the evidence from statistics provided to them by Statistics Canada and the universities themselves.

That makes these reports ambiguous. It says that our teaching quality is poor, but compared with what: the fact that we are an academic university as opposed to a more hands-on college? When they say “overall atmosphere” are they referring to student life, comfort, or diversity? The grade system doesn’t mean anything if we don’t know what they are talking about.

You also have to question how these answers are obtained. Were emails sent to students asking them to fill out a questionnaire? I never got one. Do they take responses from each faculty? I don’t remember getting a notice. So how do we know if the people rating our university are representative of ALL students’ interests?

Yes, the U of O isn’t perfect—but are we really that bad? If so, why do so many students enroll; why are our teachers and staff receiving so many awards for their work and research; and why did the former Governor General choose to work from our campus?

Sometimes, I think these reports are overrated, and I am not ashamed to say it. Yes, the U of O needs to kick it up a notch, but that doesn’t mean that we deserve to be at the bottom!

news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 562 5800

Life of an editor

It has been a while since I have posted on my blog. The reason for this is that I have a job as News Editor of The Fulcrum, the English language student newspaper at the University of Ottawa. While I thought I could easily keep up with my duties as an editor and my intentions with this blog, as well as my two classes and my radio show Ivory Antenna (Wed 12-1pm on CHUO 89.1 FM), I was wrong.

My first month as News Editor was pure insanity. I wasn't used to the time commitment, and the aggressive way in which I had to push to get information for a story. It was a mad dash to meet my deadlines and I was always the first person in the office and the last person to leave. You would think, that with all my other commitments, I would crash and burn. Well, to my surprise, and the surprise of a lot of my friends, I overcame those challenges.

Now, things are a lot easier. The time commitment is still insane, and the workload never ceases, but I now have a system. Even with all the work I have to do, even with all the deadlines and the quick pace, I still love my job.

The rush is exhilarating. The stress addictive. And the feeling you get when you find a lead to an amazing story can not be topped.

Yes, my poor blog took the backseat to all my initiatives, as did my class work (something I am now trying to rectify), but it was—and still is—worth it!

Already, within 3 months, I have met and interviews some amazing people:
-Lisa Laflamme, CTV national news anchor
-Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy
-Michelle Bachelet, the Former President of Chile
-Debi Goodwin, CTV reporter, documentary film producer, and author

I am still one of the first people in the office and one of the last to leave during production, but now, I am proud of it!

So as an ode to this wonderful life I am living, I will be posting my columns on my blog, and writing something about my experience as an editor of a student newspaper. You will hear about the challenges I face (and if I am able to overcome it), some of the weird things that happen at this university, and about the craziness that is my life: too many commitments for one 20-year old girl to master.



As a side-note: Without my friends, co-workers, and family supporting me...this would have been an interesting ride. Thanks everyone!

New Blogs for The Memory Project

Sorry I have been MIA for the past while. As part of my job at work, I have been blogging and keeping up with twitter ect. Then I come back and write for The Fulcrum. By the time I get to my wonderful blog, I am all "writ-ed" out. Yes, I said Writ-ed ... it's a new word. It will catch on!

Anyway, here is my newest blog posts. If you love history, and art, you will love these:

http://www.thememoryproject.com/Community/SOSW2-Blog/August-2010/A-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words.aspx

In Memoriam

Here is yet another blog I wrote for The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War.

This one is about recently deceased Nurse Edith Shain, the famously photographed woman who was spontaneously kissed by a sailor at the end of WWII. Her photo was immortalized in Life Magazine.

http://www.thememoryproject.com/Community/SOSW2-Blog/Hune/IN-MEMORANDUM.aspx

First impressions are almost always wrong

As a simple observer on the subway, I have learned that first impressions are almost always wrong.

I was sitting on the subway when a very frightening man sat in front of me. He had lots of facial hair, a ball cap, rough looking clothes covered in paint. He wore a frown-like expression that made me a tad uncomfortable.

A woman came in and sat next to him. With her was a stroller and a little child who was smiling away. The man looked at the woman, and than looked at the child, and did the most extraordinary thing. He stuck his tongue out. The child squealed with delight.

He smiled, and continued smiling the rest of the way.

Was I proven wrong or what! I think people really do expect the worse of others. We don't want to believe that everyone is kind and fair, because we are afraid of what will happen if we are wrong.

I once offered an elderly man a seat on the subway, and he said "miss, I have been sitting for the past 4 hours, I really just want to stand". I have witnessed a 4 year old girl burst out in song on the TTC, singing (in pretty good pitch) "Old Macdonald had a farm". Everyone smiled. No one tried to stop her, even on verse 31.

The people in this world are remarkable...if only we give them the opportunity to show it.

The Flip-Side of the Memory Project

http://www.thememoryproject.com/Community/SOSW2-Blog/Hune/The-flip-side-of-The-Memory-Project.aspx

Another blog written for The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War.

How to truly earn your wings

http://www.thememoryproject.com/Community/SOSW2-Blog/Hune/HOW-TO-TRULY-EARN-YOUR-WINGS.aspx

How to Truly Earn Your Wings: The story of Mr Johnson, a Second World War veteran who survived 23 nights in a jungle while being pursued by Japanese Soldiers. My first official blog post with The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War

School uniforms a fail

What were people thinking when they decided to create school uniforms? Although the typical answer to this question sounds something like this - "it dissuades students from dressing inappropriately" - it actually does the opposite.

On my hour-long subway ride to work every morning, I have made some interesting observations.

1. Not one skirt was even close to knee length. NOT ONE! What I have been told is that instead of buying new skirts, the girls just get bigger sizes and fold them up to fit -ya, ok.

2. They all have really nice shoes. I have never seen so many renditions of the black flat in my life!

3. All these thirteen year old girls are slabbing makeup on their faces and wearing big hoop earings that make them look like a schoolgirl from a Brittany Spears music video.

My theory: They are overcompensating for the fact that their individuality is being stifled. Ironically, the uniforms are having the opposite affect that was intended. Young girls are dressing (pardon my language) 'sluttier' just to get attention and be noticed in a swarm of green plaid and white blouses.

Really people? Is it worth it?

When is it ok to tear up at work?

As the title to this post suggests: it is sometimes justified to tear up while at work. On my second day working as a communications intern for The Memory Project I experienced such an occasion.

My job requires me to be knowledgeable of the Second World War and to help coordinate events, speak with veterans, write press releases, and keep the public aware of the the project's successes and upcoming activities - among other things. The Memory Project (Stories of the Second World War) itself is an oral history project that documents interviews from Second World War veterans and shares their experiences, artifacts, and war-time memorabilia. It is a fantastic project and will act as a significant contributor to years of Canadian history study.

For the first two days of work I was asked to look through the website and get to know the types of people I would be talking too. The Memory Project created an online digital archive of interview clips and photographs. I listened to dozens of stories, and after a few hours, I have to say that I learned a lot. We all know how terrifying the Second World War was. We have all learned about it; read about it in textbooks; and probably did at least 3 projects during secondary school regarding some aspect of the war. But to listen to the actual events is something different. To hear the voices of these veterans -the people who risked their lives for Canada -is just heartbreaking. You hear about all the successes, the jokes, the camaraderie. All of this offsets the stories of horror: witnessing your friends die around you, hearing cries from young boys (whether they were friendly or 'the enemy'), and one guy even described the famous battle of D-Day on Juno beach as being a sea of ketchup -red from the blood of his men.

All of those stories, whether they are about the good days or the worst, are extremely important. It is why we should never forget the Second World War. It is why it is taught throughout elementary school and high school. These stories are everything. Whether the servicemen were Jewish, British, Asian, French, or even native American; it didn't matter. They all served and survived. It is because of this that those who died did not do so in vain. Their stories are shared in the experiences and stories of these veterans.

I am not ashamed to say that the interviews touched me. I am not ashamed to say that I teared up in the middle of my first and second day of work (yes, both times). The stories are real and sad. I love the fact that I can help this project and get these stories out there for the world to hear. I think everyone should check out this website, not only for their personal knowledge, but because we owe it to the men who died, as well as to those who survived.

Downtown

Today I got to work half an hour early -I guess the nerves kept me rushing this morning -but because of this, I got the opportunity to walk around downtown Toronto. As someone who lives in North York (or 'no mans land' as my friends and I labelled it in high school), downtown is quite foreign to me. I turned corners, walked up and down small streets, and found myself humming the song "downtown" in my head as I went. Of course, then I realized I had only 10 minutes to return to my office building, but that isn't the point of this little story.

What I realized is that Toronto is made of numerous diverse neighbourhoods. North York is very family oriented: there are dogs, elementary schools, and a giant Sears Outlet! Than you move farther South and you have Malls, High schools, Subway systems. Than you have Downtown -a mixture of small boutiques, the St. Lawrence market, and flashing lights. However, there are also businessmen and women running around with briefcases, girls in high heels and unbelievably short dresses, the common-day athlete jogging around a corner, and the slightly dazed men who sit on the benches and talk to themselves. Again, such diversity!

Its amazing how we can all get along, walking past each other on the crowded sidewalks and crazy subways. Its pretty fantastic!

In memoriam

In memoriam

Mary Catherine Lunz
October 11, 1923 - April 3, 2010

A few days ago, I lost someone very close to me. She was a spectacular woman -someone who never stopped smiling, and would not let the little things slow her down. One of the most stubborn people I have ever known, she is probably sitting up in heaven laughing at a wheelchair while waving her finger saying: see....told you I would never need to use you!

I was very close to my grandmother. I would take the bus over to her place once a month or so for Sunday night dinner, I would share all my Fulcrum articles with her, we even watched a full episode of 'so you think you can dance' over the phone [which worked perfectly because she always has her tv on so loud, that I could mute my television and hear everything through the phone!]. As children, her place was the perfect getaway:for two weeks every summer my sister and I would come to Ottawa and go swimming, see movies, go for walks, and learn card games. All of this will stick with me, and although university life will never be the same without our coffee dates and the Nutcracker ballet, I know you are in a better place.

Sorrow and grief are funny things. Everyone has them, but they come out in different ways, at different times. But what is most common, is to hold back the tears and the anguish until one is privately away from others. There is this stigma that people have to be strong, that we have to be tough for others. But why is that? Why do people have to wait until they are alone in their room to cry, with no one to comfort them. Personally, I would much rather be able to let it all out with my family, where people are there to offer support, words of sincerity, and tons of hugs (as cliche as that sounds). Who cares if the person offering that support is in tears as well? I wouldn't -simply because it means that they understand what I am going through. By keeping it inside, it affects the heart. The heart becomes sad, and people are left constantly thinking about their loss. I think that those we lose would like it more if we all grieved and celebrated their life together, showing each other honestly how we felt and allowed our hearts to heal.

Regardless, Maimey, I will love you forever and ever. See you in the morning when the sun shines bright.

How far will 3D go...

This is a little bit of a random post-I am not going to lie. Whether it is my brain collapsing from the stress of school or I just need to get a life, I have been doing a lot of thinking about the concept of 3D movies. It seems that every year more and more movies are being released in 3D. Will two dimensional movies become obsolete, just like the VCR or Nintendo 64? Personally I hope not. I would hate to put on special glasses every time I want to watch a film. But this isn't want I want to talk about today.

My real question is: how far will this go? I immediately flash back to my good old star trek days [don't laugh], with its holograms and holodecks. For those of you who are not science fiction geeks, a hologram is a three dimensional image of a computerized personality. They can walk, talk, and think like a regular human being, but they are transparent. A holodeck is a room that projects images and makes the user feel like they are in a completely separate world. In the television series, it was used for recreational sports, or even to play the main character in fictitious adventure [Captain Picard was known for playing Holmes in the Sherlock novels].

My point is, if we are able to project images through a screen and make them seem tangible and life-like, how long will it us to create 3D images without the use of crazy coloured glasses? Personally, I kind of hope that someday, in my lfie time, I will be able to go into a room and say: run program Katie Delta Five, and be able to re-enact the classic tales of Lord of the Rings or Diana Gabaldon's time-twisting adventures.

Is it really possible, who knows? Would it be awesome, hell yes!

Proud to be Canadian

The flag-waving, red, white, and maple leaf craze is at an end. I must admit that the past two weeks have been exhilarating - a record number of gold medals, great standings for all our athletes, and intense Canadian pride. The Olympics gave everyone an outlet for their patriotism, and for the first time, Canada showed the world what it was made of.

The Opening Ceremony started things off with a bang, perfectly outlining our history. While some people may have thought that it was not representative of Canadian culture, I believe it showed our true nature. Canada has no distinctive culture, partly because we are so multicultural. We are a nation made up of different religions, traditions, and people -therefore our history IS what makes Canada unique.

The games themselves astonished most. Canada made it on top, winning a record of 14 gold medals. Of course, our athletes did more than just win gold. Canada came close to the podium on a number of occasion, whether it was by .004 seconds or due to a nasty fall.

The closing ceremonies were absolutely fantastic -or at least I thought. Canada was risky. They put on a show that demonstrated all the 'typical Canadian' stereotypes. I know a lot of people who argued that some people may not understand the joke,and others thought it was simply embarrassing. Personally, I thought it was hilarious. Flying moose, giant beavers, oversized RCMP officers and hockey players, all tied in with dancing maple leafs. Comedians and Canadian figures joked about Canadian culture. The humour was undeniable, and the special effects amazing!

Before the Olympics had started, newspapers worldwide bashed the Canadian 'Own the Podium' program, a program dedicated to increasing out athlete's abilities. It was repeatedly stated that we were showing anti-Canadian values-which apparently revolve around having inferiority complexes, small-town values, and passivity. Check out this article written by myself at The Fulcrum newspaper as a response to a specific article written by The New York Times: http://www.thefulcrum.ca/articles/27837

I hope that even thought the Olympics are done, Canadians will hold on to that spirit. Why can't we be loud and obnoxious every once in a while? Canadian doesn't have to mean quiet! Come on Canada, scream and shout: I AM CANADIAN, AND PROUD OF IT!!

Bilingual??

Although there were many reasons for my choosing to come to the University of Ottawa, one of the most prominent was its bilingualism. I am currently studying political science and history, two subjects in which French is a requirement in the workplace. Walking around campus during my first year I marvelled at how many people were fluent in second languages, especially French or English. Everything was bilingual: the menu at Second Cup, traffic signs, even the cafeteria. I knew that just by attending this university, my French would improve.

Well...it was a little more difficult than I thought. I took a course in my first year called 'Culture Francaise au Canada' where we studied francophone culture (in French) and wrote compositions about French literature (in French). Unfortunately, we did not do a lot of oral activities. This is what happened throughout my high school education as well. As a French immersion student, it was expected that we already knew how to speak properly and therefore the teachers concentrated on literature and writing. Now, I can pick up Voltaire and enjoy the good read, but can I explain what the book is about? To a certain degree yes, but it may be a bit choppy.

I was hired last year and this year as a cashier at the University of Ottawa bookstore and one of the requirements was that you speak French and English. I was able to hold my own, but in most cases, if people hear you struggling they will change to English instead of giving you a chance to work it out and practice. I will admit that my French is functional -meaning that I can speak it enough to get my jobs done and to hold my own little bit in conversation, but I still need a lot of work. I am currently job hunting within the government, and French is a huge component. Due to this lack of practice, my oral presentations have been a little rusty and choppy. Unfortunately, people do not usually consider nerves, but assume that you really are not as bilingual as it says in your resume.

All I need is a place to practice. If someone will give me an opportunity to work in an environment where I am forced to use French, than I will improve.

Another point I wanted to make was regarding the bilingualism in the Olympics. From my point of view, the opening ceremonies were a bilingual disaster. Although the presenters did try and speak their little bit of French, it represented a fail for most francophones out there. No one taught these people how to say words properly! It would have taken one hour to teach them how to say the one or two phrases they needed in order to show their bilingual diversity, but unfortunately all the words came out wrong, making them a laughing stock.

In addition, people watching the Olympics have been commenting on how strange it is that French is always spoken first, especially since the majority of the population speaks English. My view is that French is spoken first because Canada was originally a French colony. The English came and defeated them, claiming the country for themselves. While there will always be more English speaking people than French in Canada, to respect our history and our culture, French will, most likely, always be a necessity.

The only thing I ask is that the respect we give by speaking French first is returned by a mutual respect of the difficulty of being bilingual. Please let people who struggle with French continue to express their thoughts, allow them the opportunity to speak it in class and in the workplace, and above all else, be understanding to those who genuinely try.

NASH 2010

Last weekend I was given the opportunity to travel with the editorial staff of The Fulcrum newspaper to Edmonton for a national journalist conference. Once a year, member student newspapers of CUP, the Canadian University Press, get together for a mass conference consisting of seminars, workshops, critiques, and of course, social events.

I came away from this conference completely inspired, and I'm positive that there are other students out there that feel the same way. The keynote speakers were Andrew Potter, Jan Wong, Adrienne Arsenault, and Jesse Thorn -all amazing journalists, and reporters who were able to capture the minds and hearts of everyone in the room. I even was able to meet up with Andrew Potter at the Lions Head Pub inside the hotel and talk shop. By the end of the night, I was still in awe that I had the nerve to walk up to him and say 'Hi, my name is...'.

What I loved most about this conference, besides the learning aspect, was the networking. Although I will never admit it, my dad was right. For the past five years he has been telling me to take advantage of the people I meet and to network the crowd. Of course, I hated the idea of walking up to someone I didn't know, but now, that fear seems silly. I was able to meet some great people from Saskatchewan, Edmonton, and Quebec, as well as professional journalists. These professionals were completely understanding of the student journalist life, and were comfortable giving us contact information and advice that we could use in the future. The camaraderie created between complete strangers was mind boggling and was strengthened only by our common love for journalism.

I had an absolute amazing time, and I highly suggest any student journalists out there to get involved with their papers and go to the NASH conference next year. It is an opportunity of a lifetime. I was able to meet a lot of smart and intriguing people, talk with some of the greatest journalists of the decade, and drink a few beers with my fellow Canadian journalists. What could be better?

The official newsleter of Canadian University Press 72nd national conference

The official newsleter of Canadian University Press 72nd national conference

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patriotism?

While watching the hockey game two nights ago, I realized how patriotic Canadians were when it came to hockey. Everyone was wearing red jerseys, scarfs, mittens, and stick-on maple leaf tattoos. Although this may not be news to the average hockey fan, the fact that these products have become increasingly popular over the past few months is not surprising. With the coming of the Olympic games in February, industries have decided to 'Canadian-ize' their products. With all of this extra production, it does bring up the point that the Olympics have become less about the actual sport and more about the profit it brings to the countries participating.

Of course, Canada is not the only culprit. I am positive that Beijing and Sydney produced their fair share of Olympic merchandise. In fact, countries around the world are probably creating more tourist buttons and t-shirts than ever before. Prices for hotels are marked up and everything with a maple leaf on it is suddenly considered patriotic. Excel gum has put a maple leaf on every piece - but what is that really doing? Is part of their profit going to support the athletes? Or is it just taking advantage of the Olympics in order to make a little extra cash?

On the other side, it is one of the few times that the country is able to rally together regardless of cultural distinctions or political messes, and be truly Canadian. The Olympics enable us to feel proud of our nation and the competitive nature of our athletes. Wearing a red scarf, for example, makes the average person feel as if they have contributed to the success of their team, and are ultimately supporting and cheering for them.

But how much is to much? Whether this form of patriotism is enough to compete with the overbearing economic productions is a personal opinion. For me, I would like to see just a little less emphasis on twenty dollar "Eh Oh Canada Go" t-shirts and more on the hard working athletes who are hopefully going to put Canada on the map this year.

The dawn of a new age

Simply said: the new year inspires people to make resolutions. Some may be unrealistic, such as cutting out all sugar from your diet (we all know that is impossible), or some may be a pointless way of avoiding added responsibility in life, like promising to give your parents a hug every week to show your affection (although it would be considered a lovely gesture).

The year 2010 represents something different to everyone, but to me, it represents new opportunities. The world has grown so much over the past few decades, becoming more interactive and technologically savvy. As part of my new year resolution, I have decided to become part of this world. Apart from my typical "I will be healthier" resolution, I am going to jump right into this technological age and create a blog.

This blog is going to be about my many experience and observations. As of 2010, I have been alive for two entire decades, and throughout this time I have done a little bit of everything. I have always prided myself in taking advantage of opportunities that are offered to me and it has landed me multiple jobs working with summer camps, customer services, the food industry, volunteer event coordinating, phone registrar, and more recently a fantastic job working as staff writer with the Fulcrum newspaper. Throughout all of this, I have noticed little things about humanity that would shock the average reader. In essence, this blog is going to be about the little things -the things that make us tick, the things that make us laugh or cry, the things that grab our interests. Peaked your interest? I hope so.

I look forward to keeping this blog throughout 2010. Who knows what opportunities it may create.