Saturday, January 31, 2009

Earlier, this book caught my eye...

Into the Buzzsaw: Leading Journalists Expose the Myth of a Free Press

From Publishers Weekly
In this uneven yet illuminating anthology, editor Borjesson succinctly explains the journalist's predicament: "The buzzsaw is what can rip through you when you try to investigate or expose anything this country's large institutions be they corporate or government want kept under wraps." Indeed, if members of the general public read this book, or even portions of it, they will be appalled. To the uninitiated reader, the accounts of what goes on behind the scenes at major news organizations are shocking. Executives regularly squelch legitimate stories that will lower their ratings, upset their advertisers or miff their investors. Unfortunately, this dirt is unlikely to reach unknowing news audiences, as this volume's likely readership is already familiar with the current state of journalism. Here, Murrow Award-winning reporter Borjesson edits essays by journalists from the Associated Press to CBS News to the New York Times. Each tells of their difficulties with news higher-ups as they tried to publish or air controversial stories relating to everything from toxic dump sites and civilian casualties to police brutality and dangerous hospitals. Some, like BBC reporter Greg Palast's, are merely rants against "corporate" journalism, but others, like New York Observer columnist Philip Weiss's, will serve as meaningful lessons to nascent and veteran writers alike. Most of the sentiments here are especially relevant given the current reports of the war in Afghanistan and questions of their validity, making this timely and essential reading for students and scholars of journalism. (Mar.)Forecast: With Bernard Goldberg's Bias riding high on bestseller lists, Borjesson's offering on news media manipulation is bound to attract serious attention and sales.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

In under two weeks

I will embark on the great northern adventure to Churchill.  After having to leave and return to Canada on Jan 9, I will take off the next morning at 8 am to Winnipeg.  Once in Winnipeg I'll have about 7 hours to look around and get to the train station in time to embark on the two day trip to Churchill.  Once there, we'll hopefully catch a polar bear tour (we better!) and see the Northern Lights.  Two items on my life list.  Then I'll head back to Vancouver to finish packing up and preparing to leave.

I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately, and I see so many people from my past doing such great things around the world... whether they're in South Korea or South Africa, I try and keep up with their adventures and see the amazing things going on in their lives and wish I was doing something a little more worthwhile.  A girl I know joined the Peace Corps and is now stationed in Africa... its something I thought a lot about for years now and something I've always wanted to do.  That, in a way, I feel called to do.

And I think thats where a lot of uncertainty and indecision about where to go next comes from.  I feel that may be where I need to go and what to do, but at what cost?  I don't know yet.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Recession, reschmession



















ING Orange rates dropped again to 2.40% APY and over 71,400 jobs were cut yesterday alone in the US.  So far its been the worst recession since the GREAT Depression (thanks, G.W.) and that's what I have to look foward to in a month when I return to the States.

A little joke from the collegerecruiter.com blog:

[L]et me tell you a little joke about how you know when you're in a recession. You know that we're in a recession when your neighbor loses his job. You know that we're in a depression when you lose your job. And you know when we're in a recovery when the president loses his job.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Print Gocco!

The crafty me seriously desires a Gocco printer....  Printing was one of my favorite things in art class in high school and whatever form we did (filling in the screen and inking ourselves) was a little too much work, but I would definitely use something like this.  I will add it to my wishlist...




I've started thinking about a lot of ideas for prints and cards lately, so maybe I can compile the ideas and hopefully sell cards and prints in the future.  That would be so amazing.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Thursday inspiration


















Daily inspiration photo from stylist Eva Lindh

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Fog advection

As I was driving home from work today I was completely shocked by the beauty of the North Shore mountains... the same ones I see almost every time I drive north on Main Street.  However, due to the fog that has laid seige to the city the past week or so (see photo above taken yesterday from Grouse Mountain on the North Shore), I had forgotten (how is that possible?) how beautiful that drive is.  I love the mountains surrounding Vancouver... one of the many things I love about this city.

(photo from the Vancouver Sun)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Success!

Plane ticket from Vancouver to Winnipeg successfully purchased for about $390 CAD on Air Canada (a mere ten minutes after Air Canada tried to make me purchase the exact same flights/itinterary for $480...)!

Also saw the Curious Case of Benjamin Button... I liked it so much I think I need to go again (even for $12 a pop!).  The last movie I enjoyed that much at the theater was Darjeeling Limited a couple years ago.  Apparently I don't get out enough if I had no idea movies were costing that much these days.

After the movie, my friend and I got locked in the Metrotown mall.  Not the coolest thing to ever happen to me.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

It's official!

Today after work, my co-worker and I headed to the train station and bought our train tickets to CHURCHILL!!  Hopefully while I am there, I will be knocking items #24 and #44 off my life list!  The trip will only be 6 days total, but 4 days will be spent in trains so we'll have rougly 2 in Churchill to do everything... like ride in a tundra buggy, see some polar bears and view the Northern lights!

I still have to buy a plane ticket to Winnipeg, but the train is what I was most worried about... I can get to Winnipeg.  Churchill?  Not so easy.

The adventure starts in exactly one month!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Phase 2

I had to tell my manager today I'll be leaving in a month... it makes me sad to know that my time here is already winding down and will be over soon.  I'm not quite ready to leave this beautiful place and the friends I've made.

I feel sad, but optimistic about the next step of my life as my focus sharpens and I'm able to focus more on where I want to go with it.  Hopefully, that'll be back in Canada soon.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Happy 2009 to me.

I'm fairly certain Molly (that's my car) is really mad at me.  I promised her two weeks ago when we got stuck in the snow she didn't have to come out again until it melted.  But alas, she had to come out, and we had another malady.

The keys got locked in the car.  While the ignition was running.  Except, that I had the electronic unlocker in my hand, and it just wouldn't open...  I was so upset.  Luckily, I was able to run back into work, call someone who told me to call someone else who had a truck in the area and opened my door, all in 45 mins for the grand total of $50.

I created a new category in my budget and chalked it up to "stupid tax."

Friday, January 2, 2009

Without further ado...

the life list
  1. Write a book
  2. Learn a new alphabet
  3. Learn another language fluently
  4. Become an ex-pat
  5. Own my own home
  6. Visit all fifty states (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming)
  7. Visit all thirteen Canadian provinces and territories (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Bruinswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory)
  8. Visit every country in the world
  9. Design my own clothing
  10. Sell a painting
  11. Have a photograph published
  12. Visit all seven continents (North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and Antartica)
  13. Attend a World Cup match
  14. Attend a Grand Slam match
  15. Attend a game of the Stanley Cup finals
  16. Attend an NFL playoff game
  17. Attend an Olympic event
  18. Attend a college sport playoff finals game
  19. Run a 5k
  20. Read a novel in another language
  21. Get an advanced degree
  22. See the Seven Modern Wonders of the World (Great Wall of China, Petra, Christ the Reedemer, Machu Picchu, Chicen Itza, Roman Colesium, Taj Mahal and Great Pyramid at Giza--honorary candidate)
  23. Visit London, Paris and Rome at Christmas
  24. See the Northern Lights
  25. Go skydiving
  26. Visit the Grand Canyon
  27. Go to Oktoberfest
  28. Learn to fly
  29. Plant a tree
  30. Stand on Four Corners
  31. Go to space
  32. Learn to sail
  33. Climb a mountain
  34. Learn to surf
  35. Swim with sharks
  36. Go dog sledding
  37. Learn to ski or snowboard
  38. Jump off a waterfall
  39. Experience zero gravity
  40. Bet on a sporting event
  41. Get my fortune told
  42. Road trip across the US from one coast to the other
  43. See koala bears in their natural habitat
  44. See polar bears in their natural habitat
  45. Go whale watching
  46. Take an Artic cruise in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres
  47. Take the train across Canada
  48. Ride the TranSiberian railway
  49. Go to Carnivale in Venice
  50. Own a digital SLR
  51. See the Pyramids
  52. Visit Easter Island
  53. Go on a safari in Africa
  54. Visit the 30 "global cities" of the world (New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Singapore, Chicago, Toronto, Seoul, Washington D.C., Beijing, Brussels, Madrid, San Francisco, Sydney, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, Shanghai, Frankfurt, Bangkok, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Mexico City, Zurich, Dubai, Istanbul, Boston, Rome)
  55. Ride in a hot air balloon
  56. Eat a five star restaurant
  57. Take an Alaskan cruise
  58. Drive the Alaskan Highway
  59. Meet a US president
  60. Adopt a pet from a shelter
  61. Get a tattoo
  62. Open a champagne bottle with a sword
  63. Hug an inukshuk
  64. See the Mojave Desert airline "graveyard"
  65. Fly First Class on an airline
(updated 4/21/2014)