What I Did On My Facebook Vacation!

Father, it’s been six weeks since my last Facebook. And here I am back in the confession booth.

Naw, it’s not a sin or anything, it had simply become an aimless obsession that sucked too much of my time – time that I had forgotten was valuable.

A vacation from Facebook is what I needed to re-direct my energies. Unfortunately, I didn’t visit the tropics, but I did accomplish a few things and took a new journey in my mind.

About a week after quitting Fb I found that that chunk of free time was indeed mine again. It felt like extra cash, like a little lotto influx and I wanted to spend it! - but spend it wisely.

So I decided to pick up where I left off with my Certificate in Magazine Publishing from Ryerson University. I’d dropped out when I got hired at the CBC, but did a little poking and discovered that I have another year or so to complete the program (a relief since I am more than half-way through and have spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on this program.)

The course I selected was by default – the only course offered for Winter 2009: Creating Website Editorial. I never imagined that I would be interested in creating websites – but oddly, I am! Since then I have received an “A” in that course and have re-vamped this old blog and created a new blog called I Heart Docs dedicated to documentary films and television and have been encouraged by several industry folks. It’s been a lot of fun!

I’ve also started to take over the social networking side of CBC Documentaries. According to my teacher at Ryerson, Social Media Managers and Producers are the next wave in cool media jobs – and I’m already on board (you can check out some of my CBC work on Twitter.)

Oddly, that means I HAVE to become a Facebook professional!!!!! So you’ll be seeing a lot more of my face again for better or worse. And I'll be seeing more of yours again which will be lovely.

Oh, I almost forgot! I'm producing trailers for Doc Zone docs that you can view on our website. Here's the latest one for a very interesting doc called "Biodad" about the future of reproductive technology and how that will change our notion of "family."

A Sucky Vintage Clothing Sale and a Fab Swap

In these economic times, it is wise to take advantage of any vintage clothing sale and swap you can come across.

I was so psyched last week to attend a vintage clothing sale put on by Studio.to - some organization the purpose of which I couldn't decipher when I visited its site. I was turned on to it through one of my daily Sweetspot.ca messages which generally annoy me lately with their lame recommendations and corporate sponsors, and after this sale, I'm seriously thinking about removing myself from their mailing list.

Regardless, I've been a fan of vintage clothing sales since I was sixteen so I was hopeful. Imagine my disappointment then when I discovered that this crummy "vintage" sale was nothing but an overpriced ragtag collection of crumpled and dusty Value Village left-overs being sold by hyper-thin 20-somethings who consider themselves stylists.

Sigh.

I harkened back to the good old days of when I attended Ottawa's annual vintage clothing sale held at the Chateau Laurier hotel. I discovered that the same organizers are putting on a new show this spring. Check out this site for pictures of what a vintage clothing sale SHOULD look like! If you are in the area, please attend! I will live vicariously through you!

My disappointment was assuaged a few days later when friends Sarah and Heather hosted a clothing swap. About a half dozen women gathered for hummus, hummus and more hummus plus some rosé wine and settled in to action off piles and piles of cast-offs. It's so lovely when something you haven't worn for two years tickles someone else pink! Speaking of pink, I ended up with an oversized mohair fuchia sweater I never in a million years would have bought for myself. I am wearing it today and have already received two compliments. Ummm yummy cheerful sweater on this cold February day!

World Press Photo - Photo of the Year 2008

Take a look at the photograph. What is your first reaction to it? Are you trying to place it's location? Are you trying to determine the type of violent confrontation this may be? What kind of destruction has befallen this home?

It is startling to discover it is the photograph, by Anthony Suau for Time, is of an eviction in Cleveland.

The World Press Photo of 2008 depicts what the jury thought to be the most important global issue - the slow collapse of the economy world-wide.

Problem with the photo is, I don't find it to contain enough conflict in the image itself. Without the explanation, it is flat and doesn't elicit a multitude of emotions - just the one of violence. I will have to explore the other winners - perhaps there is one that should have won instead?

For more information about Suau and World Press Photo, please read this CBC article.