Today is Buy Nothing Day in North America. If you’re unaware of Buy Nothing Day (is it comfortable under that rock :) here’s something directly from the Adbusters press release

Now in its 17th year, Buy Nothing Day is celebrated every November by environmentalists, social activists and concerned citizens in over 65 countries around the world. Over the years, Buy Nothing Day (followed by Buy Nothing Christmas) has exploded into a global movement, inspiring the world’s citizens to live more simply and buy a whole lot less.

While Adbusters Magazine did not technically start BND (this credit belongs to Vancouverite, Ted Dave) it sure has spearheaded its promotion. The issue of consumerism, overconsumption and BND sure do stir up emotions, as is obvious from the comments on this article from two years ago. And it should. It’s the kind of issue we must face, and especially in these tough economic times. While I wholeheartedly support the sentiment and the righteous goal of BND, which is of course to bring awareness that we buy too much, I can’t help but feel uneasy about a few things:

1) The fact that it’s promoted by Adbusters Magazine

As nice as it is that this Canadian-based not-for-profit has become so popular, and I’ve enjoyed the magazine, it’s starting to feel fake and contrived. It seems that Adbusters has become the very thing it claims to be fighting. They sell their own shoe, for crying out loud. Sure, it’s described as anti-brand, and the un-swoosher (to combat Nike’s alleged corporate atrocities) but what makes buying that shoe any different than choosing some other company’s shoe? I know, I know. The conditions under which they’re made are (supposedly) better, the money will go towards promoting more Adbusters-related stuff and it’s just plain cool to be a rebel. But condemning marketers who "arbitrarily zero in on some emotion that means something to young people" and "attach that emotion to [their] brand” (as Adbusters founder Kalle Lasn has) seems hypocritical when this shoe is marketed in much the same way. I compare Adbusters’ gradual transformation into the thing it opposed to Kurt Cobain’s transition to a mainstream artist (but he seemed to realize it). And both have their own shoe. I kid you not. Behold the Chuck Taylor All Star Kurt Cobain.

2) Do people participate to be a rebel?

Again, I welcome a decrease in consumption. I really do. And I certainly don’t like the constant bombardment of marketing. But will people jump on this bandwagon (secretly hiding the little purchases they made) in order to be part of a movement that is rebellious and opposes “the man”, returning to business as usual the following day. We don’t need a Buy Nothing Day, we need a Buy Less Life. I’m sure that’s the goal of BND, but I’m not so sure it accomplishes that goal. I hate to be cynical on this one, but it feels like a bit of a ploy to keep Adbusters in the spotlight, selling magazines. In the book The Rebel Sell (I suggest reading this) the authors address the inability of counter-cultural movements to effect true change. From Wikipedia:

"The system" is not something that seeks conformity, but rather the opposite, it seeks individuality and the competition for distinction. To support this claim, Potter and Heath look at American Beauty, Fight Club, The Matrix, and Adbusters, all of which are supposedly counter-cultural, but popular in the mainstream. The capitalist system is not trying to stamp out individuality; rather, a force of social distinction drives the market. Individuals are in constant pursuit to "outcast" each other.

Exactly. Is BND just an extension?

3) Should we be taking money out of the market right now?

Given the state of the economy right now, is it advisable to NOT invest in businesses, even for ONE day? I think it would make more sense to spend money more wisely. I’m not an economist, but I think there are better options than not buying a single thing on that day. Often, protests can lead to judging and criticizing those who are shopping on “BND”, when they likely have no idea about the initiative. To quote the author from the piece I linked to earlier:

That's why I use Buy Nothing Day for what I think are better ends. I buy "consciously" all day long -- from getting a fair trade coffee at a locally owned shop in the morning, to picking up a few Christmas gifts made by independent artists and crafters in the afternoon.

I’d rather support a local business that deserves my money than simply participate in what honestly amounts to an empty gesture for many people. If you believe in Buy Nothing Day, cool. I once did, and I guess I’m not totally opposed to it now. But it’s always a good idea to examine why you believe in certain things, and to question the motives of those who promote them. Blindly following Adbusters (and those who espouse their messages) isn’t necessarily better than blindly following corporations.

C’mon it’s an entry you all saw coming… and an important one at that.

The holidays can be a time of smiles, hugs and laughter, but it can also be a time of frowns, shoves and scowls. I know. And it happens when people go searching for cash they just don’t have.

This “holiday-themed post” may actually come a little late. I have a few friends who are about to finish their shopping by the time November comes around. And this blogger started giving out advice almost two months ago.

I’ve searched the Internet for the best gift-giving-money-saving ideas and I’m presenting them to you for your shopping convenience.

1. Buy one nice gift—not three or four “pretty good” ones. When you buy a bunch of smaller gifts, you often restrict yourself to inexpensive items, which are usually less useful. Why not put all that money towards something the person will really appreciate?
2. Start early. For the record, I consider now early. I’m usually an I’ll-get-it-the-day-before-or-day-of kind of guy. If you start early, you can make sure that you get the perfect item. This also gives you a chance to comparison shop. You’ll also avoid some of the crowds that mid-December attracts.
3. Set yourself a budget. Yup, it sounds cheap… but you are cheap, aren’t you? This doesn’t mean you have to buy something that the person won’t appreciate it; it just means you may have to use your imagination.
4. Put some thought in it—Don’t just head to the mall and hope for the best (something I may have been known to do once or twice in my lifetime). If you spend some time getting your ideas together, you’ll save time and probably some money. By researching that special someone’s pastimes and hobbies, you may come up with a unique idea.
5. Can you make something? We all love food. What about a scrapbook? Homemade gifts, while time consuming, are definitely the most appreciated gifts.
6. Pictures. Everyone loves ‘em… just think about all the time you spend creeping people’s pics on Facebook. No one prints pictures anymore, so if you frame a couple of your favourites, you’re bound to make someone happy.
7. Pool your cash to get a big present. It’s a common thought that the more gifts there are to unwrap, the better the holiday. Not true. Students and recent grads would much rather one good gift than five pieces of junk. Get together with your brothers and sisters or your close friends to buy one single good gift.
8. What about waiting until after the big day? I know, it’ not very conventional, but I’ve often thought that my family should wait to exchange gifts on the 27th. This way, we could take advantage of all the deals on Boxing Day. Take caution when suggesting you postpone Christmas, however. The idea isn’t always met with smiling faces.

Good luck with the shopping and, please, feel free to share any other money-saving ideas.

My astronomy professor said something interesting the other day, and it reminded me of a theory of mine. He mentioned – in regards to climate change and the state of our planet – that there exists an opportunity to create jobs. Specifically, he joked about checking the Yellow Pages to find a windmill repairperson (to no avail), as there should clearly be someone trained to fix these increasingly-common contraptions. While I doubt you’d ever find such a person in the phonebook, the point is that with all the emphasis on emerging sources of “green” energy there will come some employment opportunities.

Now, for my theory:

I think if we do manage to save the planet and curb our emissions it will have nothing whatsoever to do with actually caring about preventing the destruction of Earth. Rather, it will come about as a side effect of wanting to make money from the new markets that will open up as a result of the focus on alternative energy sources. Call me cynical, but we have known about the problems (and many others) and haven’t done much about it. Throw some opportunities to make money in there, however, and I think we may go green in the name of greed.

Any one of you reading this could cash in on the green movement. You can invent something. You can get a job in a field related to the reasearch or development of green technologies. You can write a book about the subject. There are SO many opportunities surrounding the inevitable move to greener lifestyles, and I think the desire to make money will ultimately be what saves us, as ironic as THAT is (considering capitalism has greatly contributed to the state of our planet).

For all the consultants that currently exist (honestly, sometimes what they advise is so painfully obvious), wouldn’t it be great to be part of a green consulting company? One of the main ways to cut back on heating and lighting costs is to simply design things differently. I’m no expert (I wish I was) but even I know that the way we do things is often the least efficient way. Greed, my friends, will save us. I start a consulting company that approaches businesses, governments, and schools. I tell them how they can change a few things and save tons of money in the process (saving the planet is a positive side effect). They pay me money for having saved them money, and greed has transformed an energy-inefficient building into just the opposite.

The above example exists already, I’m sure. But when the time comes that it is criminal to NOT undertake the energy-saving methods, consultants will be in high demand. That’s one example, of course. There are other ways to make money from the focus on becoming green, and some creative individuals will figure out how. It’s sad that I think money will be what makes us move to technologies and habits that are just plain better for us. But if history is any indicator, curbing our wasteful ways is coming very slowly. I don’t even care if we go green in the name of greed, if the alternative is NOT going green and destroying the planet entirely. I’d rather have Earth keep supporting its inhabitants, even if the reason it continues to do so is the lust for money rather than the desire to preserve our home planet. Now get out there and make some money from this already!

This will be the conclusion on how Vancouver Fashion Week went. It has been a really amazing experience to be involved in the week as well as to see how such a large scale event is planned and executed.

Saturday and Sunday were the final days of Vancouver fashion week and the shows provided a very dramatic ending. On Saturday I showed up for hair and make up and fittings at 1pm and the show which was supposed to start at 3 ended up starting much later. I was cast to be in the show for Christopher Bates’ new line Ultra and this was one of the shows that I was the most excited about. This was the fourth show that I have done with Christopher and I really love his clothes and shows. His line ULTRA was inspired by his partying and traveling through Europe and is based on the “eurotrash” style that he loves. In any case I was stoked about this high energy show that was going to be on the big stage at VFW. In this show I was wearing torn up jeans and a German print tank top. The show ended up going very well and the clothing was well received by the audience. The final show on Saturday was the Parasuco show which featured models strutting down the runway in just jeans. Some men wore scarves and certain shirts while most of the girls used their hands as their tops. Needless to say the show was well received by the audience, especially since some of the models threw clothing samples into the audience.

Sunday proved to be another great day for VFW. The day started off with a gangster clothing show featuring URSUS clothing wear. My outfit was a difficult one for me to pull off as i had to wear a green toque and wide rimmed glasses. Basically I was the ultimate gangsta nerd. My second show of that day was for Pacific Thorn in which I featured shotgun destroyed jeans and a target print tee.

Pacific thorn is art fashion from BC that challenges the US occupation of Iraq and pokes fun at gun issues. During the show as models walked behind them was a video of the designers shot-gunning the clothing was shown.

The night was finished off with a dramatic show by Roca Wear and Mark Ecko clothing in which models would walk and then perform dance moves on the stage.

My oh-so-clever title refers to Amazon’s Kindle and the Sony Reader, two of the most popular e-book devices on the market. Oprah loves the Kindle, and our very own RBCp2p blogger Nathan Jenkins brings it up in The Book is Back. You can check out their respective sites and a host of other sites that do a side-by-side comparison(the Kindle and Sony Reader, not Nathan and Oprah).

I’d like to discuss these devices in relation to their current and potential place in our reading lives. I have a class called The Rise and Fall of the Printed Book, in which we have covered life before the book, the advent of the book and our current move away from the book. The discussion has recently turned to these e-readers and I figured I would address what I see as the future of these devices (so that if I’m right – or even terribly wrong – someone may someday refer to me in a university class).

Been There, Done That

We’ve seen them before, and they have pretty much always failed. There are many reasons that people give for not liking these gadgets, whether they’ve ever used one or not. Don’t you find that’s the case with so many things we disapprove of – that we’ve never even used one before? For example, PC users often (and unabashedly) criticize and condemn Mac computers, and yet have never committed any serious effort to using one. I’m on a Mac right now, and I can honestly say there are both advantages AND disadvantages to using it, over a Windows-based computer. The same goes for these e-book readers, I think. In some ways they are superior to books, and in other ways they just don’t match up.

How do you currently read?

Many of us do most of our reading (whether you consider it reading or not) on electronic devices. Laptops, netbooks (like the Acer Aspire One or the MSI Wind), smartphones (like the iPhone or Blackberry) and regular cell phones offer us much of our daily text. We have emails, text messages, IM, Facebook, blogs, etc. There is no doubt a lot of money being invested to research whether people would be willing to read entire books on their cell/smart phone screens. PhoneBooks? Sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it? Well, 5 years ago I bet most of you didn’t expect to be able to do so much with your cell phone and to spend so much time reading and writing on it.

Back to Amazon and Sony

While currently unavailable in Canada (and why would you want one, since much of its appeal is that it runs on an EVDO cell phone network to download books, access Wikipedia, blogs, newspapers and magazines), the Kindle (is this the Kindle 2?) has opened the doors to the true future of the e-book reader. Sony’s product has some advantages, in design and ease of use (page numbers, for example), but it does not yet have access to over-the-air downloading of books or other content. Also, Amazon – being the huge provider of books – gives readers access to far more titles. Just like any other technological advance, there will always be improvements that can be made (the iPhone not having copy and paste for example – Blackberry Storm, anyone?). And of course, there are other e-book readers (that may even have advantages), but they are lesser known for the same reason iPods dominate – brand recognition and marketing.

The Future is Wow

This is my prediction: e-book readers won’t hit their stride for another 2-3 years but when they do, it will become standard to access a cell phone network in order to have constant access to content. I foresee the same type of online embedded advertising, such as Intellitxt, to show up in our e-book content. The screens will become touchscreens, and the whole process will be more interactive. Reading a story that talks about places, events, or even brand names? Touch the underlined (or bold, or italicized) word and be taken to information about it. The Kindle already has a built-in dictionary, but alas it is not yet touchscreen.

I don’t think the book will ever completely disappear (well, not in OUR lifetimes anyway) but there will definitely be a surge in the popularity of the e-book devices (just as there were with mobile phones) when the technology catches up to our expectations. Just as any technology, however, there will be constant upgrading, which is unnecessary with physical books. Part of the excitement of books is having a visible collection, rather than having it hidden in a device. But the same was once said about music. I could easily see myself using one if it gave me access to local newspapers, a larger number of blogs and was touchscreen. I do fear, however, that reading in this manner will (and already has) fundamentally changed the way in which we interact with text and reading. Who knows, maybe you (dear reader of the future) have accessed this on your touchscreen e-book reader. One can dream.

I’ve just come back from the mall, which is usually a wonderful experience for me, but today was quite a different story…

I was walking through the mall when I passed one of those mall booth vendors. I averted my eyes, sped up, fumbled through my purse looking for my phone (the fake phone call usually works). I was almost free from her grasp, when she backed me up against a store window with her hand held out. “Hi, can I show you something?”

"Ughh huh?", I so eloquently replied.

Before I knew it, she’d corralled me over to her booth and sat me down in chair. By then, I knew I was a goner. She was demo-ing a flat iron (that’s a hair straightener for you guys out there).

Now, naturally I have pin-straight, flat hair. Earlier this morning, I spent hours curling it. So naturally, I was pissed when she decided to show me how my “frizzy, curly hair” could become straight and shiny. Great.

When she finally let me get a word in, I told her I really didn’t need a flat iron and while I was grateful for her styling, I had shopping to do. I jumped off her styling stool and ran into the first store I saw. Tabi? What the heck am I doing in here? Did I black out? I walked around the old lady cardigan section for a couple minutes, just catching my breath. When I was good and ready, I left to store and made a mad dash to the mall exit. Round two, baby…

I dodged the girl with the flat iron, the vendor with the nail file and the dude holding out a bottle of hand cream to me. I made it back to my car safely, but never actually got what I came to the mall for in the first place.

Ugh, mall vendors…

I'm just waiting for the day when books are gone, replaced by e-readers like the Amazon kindle.

Is that day further away than I thought? Perhaps. The Internet Archive is on a mission to garner universal access to human knowledge, but not in a way that you and I would consider the least bit conventional (i.e. not JUST through the net). So what's the big deal; isn't every website out there more or less allowing us to access this human knowledge?

The Internet Archive's mandate idea is pretty radical, to be honest. It started off simply enough; a van with Internet access, whereby people (typically in third world communities) could select, purchase and print a book of their choosing (usually at cost – i.e. paper, ink and binding). Its wild, if you think about the magnitude of it: The world's library out of the back of a van. Not everyone needs an Internet connection all the time to have knowledge in his or her hands all the time.

Of course this idea is just ripe with criticisms – environmentalists raise questions about paper, while humanitarians wonder if resources wouldn't better suited to feeding mouths instead of brains (to which I say, "paper is FULL of good fiber"… just kidding). I'm all for this idea; it's absolutely cost effective and really scalable; you really only need an 1 Internet connection, 1 printer and some paper and you have a fully functioning library.

There's been a litany of logistical challenges; a lot of books don't have digital editions (you'd think something printed in 1928 would…) so The Internet Archive is charged with scanning these books into a huge database. There are a couple scanning centers, one of which is in Toronto, that literally lines people up a kiosks, turning pages and taking pictures of the pages with high res camera. Not something I'm interested in doing, but apparently the pay isn't that bad. Could be a nice escape.

At any rate, everything is available on line to anyone right this instant. And its not just books that this online digital library hosts. There's catalogued web pages (ever wonder what Google looked like in Beta?), audio, movies and tons of other nuggets.

Thoughts? Is the book back again? Can it change the world, again?

A brand new season is here!

So the other day I was talking to a friend of mine on the phone as I stood in my kitchen. I looked around and realized that a brand new season of fruit flies was upon us, and I knew I had to devise a plan to combat these pesky critters. I took a glass, put some apple slices into it and taped a sandwich bag tightly to the glass, poking holes in the top. The flies would follow the scent of the apple (do they have noses?) and once inside would become trapped, somehow not realizing how to get out of their predicament. It was at that moment, with the heat of my apartment and my annoyance with these winged invaders that I asked myself a question.

Are we all just fruit flies?

Seriously. Fruit flies just wander around semi-aimlessly, in search of something that appeals to them. Once they find it (in my sealed glass) they pursue it. Upon reaching their desired goal they realize – along with all the others who have done the same thing – that maybe it isn’t exactly what they had anticipated. They are trapped in this situation, but take comfort in knowing that they’re not alone. Maybe it’s not so bad after all. Actually, they’re kind of happy in their new predicament and they convince the others that things are in fact pretty good. Or at least that’s how I assume they behave, in order for my analogy to work.

We all seek certain things, right? Money, power, respect, love. We’re convinced that once we attain it that everything will be great. We wander around in search of these and once we find it we pounce. We’re not alone in this pursuit, of course. There are many others around us trying to find that entrance into happiness. Upon realizing our goals, we often come to the conclusion that happiness hasn’t necessarily followed suit. We look around and others seem to be in the same position. Oh no. We’re a little trapped. But have no fear, all we have to do is convince ourselves and the others around us that this IS bringing us happiness and that we aren’t trapped at all. Whew. THAT was close.

Sometimes it helps to look around and question whether the way you’re doing things is REALLY going to lead to the happiness you seek. Are you doing these things for yourself, or because you’ve been led to believe you SHOULD be doing it this way? If you’re reading this, you’re probably still young enough that you could make changes to your current life plan if you needed to. Don’t let yourself get all the way into the glass with those apple slices, only to realize that you’re stuck and don’t have a way out. Make sure those apple slices are what you TRULY desire.

It is important to note that this entry was redacted during the summer months, and while it alludes to the fact that Nick is very hot, he is indeed, at this moment in time, suffering through the throes of a rather violent snowstorm, his hands indeed thawing out from the bitter cold that awaits him outdoors. Discuss.

- Updated: November 20th, 11:05am, EST.

It’s easy to let money—and the idea of having more money—consume your thoughts. As a recent grad with my fair share of debt, the subject is always at the back of my mind. In fact, I’ve often wondered whether school was even the way to go—maybe I should have jumped right into the workplace.

Recently, a blog headline caught my attention: Should an Entrepreneurial High Schooler Go to College?

I guess I’m not the only one thinking this way.

The post helps Andy, a high school student, through the pros and cons of living a few years of profits or a few years of books. Towards the end he makes a very good point:

If you can’t imagine anything better than building this business you’ve started, then go for it… Along the way, save most of what you earn - put it away so you can walk away from the business at a fairly young age. If you’ve built the business into something large and successful and sell the whole thing at age thirty, you can go to college then if you want to.

But that’s not necessarily the route that everyone should take. Another blogger with lots of business potential chose to leave everything for the university experience. In fact, the 20-year-old could have made $200,000 if he hadn’t moved away for his first year of school. He says his decision wasn’t an easy one, but the right one because he’s grown as an individual. It’s something he can take with him in his future endeavours:

I have learned how to take care of myself and how to live away from my parents. I have met some great people and built some key relationships… It would have been much harder to succeed without the strong network that I now have and I surely would have had a tough time taking care of myself without ever living away from my parents.

But, is it financially responsible to leave a profitable venture for a semester of debt and “experience”? I won’t deny the great experience the university provides, but now being out of school, I can honestly say that debt can feel burdensome.

And what about those high schoolers that think university isn’t for them? Are they being financially responsible by heading right for the workplace knowing that he or she could be a dropout in less than twelve months?

MacLean’s magazine’s student blog discusses the possibility of the “unsure high school student” deferring college life for a while:

There’s strong evidence that on average, university education does pay off, but that only means it’s a pretty decent bet for most people. And if you think less than most people about the investment you’re making and your plans for the future, well, betting does tend to favour the thoughtful and the informed.

The important thing to note is that everyone’s situation is, well, his or her own. If you’re finding yourself unhappy with a decision you’ve made, it’s obviously not the right one. University can only be a positive experience if you want to be there. Otherwise, you may find your mind—and your pockets—empty.

From November 6th-10th it will be Vancouver fashion week here in Vancouver and since I am participating in it I thought it would be appropriate to share about the shows and the parties as they happen. Wednesday night was the opening gala and party for VFW which is trying to raise its reputation to the level of other famous fashion weeks like Toronto or New York. At the opening gala and party POP OPERA night club was filled with all the industry professionals in Vancouver. The Vancouver based hair salon “blo me dry” had their promo girls in attendance as well and they enthusiastically pinned a “just blo me” pin on me. The party was great and everyone was talking about the shows that were coming up in the next few days.

Last night, the first runway shows to start off the week began at the exciting venue of a woodworking garage in one of Vancouver's most dangerous neighborhoods. The entire runway was made of giant slabs of timber that proved challenging for the models, especially the girls in heels. The venue had a very unique feel to it as it had high ceilings and wood work examples all around and even the seating was on timber benches. Although the shows started late, the excitement was felt by models, photographers and audience members alike. The shows for VFW on thursday featured clothing by Papillon and leatherwear by Hirad.

Papillons spring collection included a variety of women's long flowing spring dresses. Hirad, on the other hand designs for men, women and children and models showed of black, brown and black high quality Italian leather. I myself was in Hirads show and wore a beige coat over a silk shirt whilst carrying a light leather satchel. My second outfit was a dark brown alligator skin jacket which was worn on my bare skin which made for an interesting show when my zipper wasn't working.

Behind the scenes at a fashion show tensions are high. The space had a limited back stage area and male and female models have to make quick outfit changes without any privacy whatsoever. Getting in order for the shows and constantly being told where to go or not go makes for a stressful time. The biggest problem we faced last night was that the runway was so short that the models (with their long legs) sped through the runway without giving photographers a chance to get any good shots.

VFW is still quite new but its a privilege to be part of something that is really trying to progress to the next level. With MUUM productions providing most of the male models and some of the female ones I have been able to be a big part of it and see my fellow agency models take part too. Tonight the shows continue with eco style clothing and more after parties that Vancouver will be sure to remember.

This blog entry is probably echoing remnants of inspiration from David Suzuki’s speech at the FLICK OFF finale in Ottawa, but since then I’ve been thinking more and more about my commitment to reduce carbon emissions. I’m definitely switching to reusable water bottles (especially since I scored a sweet aluminum one for free at the concert). I’ve been making sure to flick off all of my electronics, laptop, printer, tv and (enviro-friendly) lights… I’ve even been on the lookout for leaky taps!

While the small changes I’ve made may have only benefited the environment in a miniscule way, I know at least it’s a step in the right direction. But as I notice the lights in commercial buildings outside my apartment flicker on and off throughout the night, I can’t help but think that
there’s something troubling about the lack of green-efforts coming from the private sector.

It’s no question that the private sector is largely responsible for carbon-emissions and waste, but the feat of challenging a multinational corporation over its green policies would be a huge undertaking. As students, I think there’s an easier way to lobby for changes for the greater environmental good. As students, an easy way to act is within the organizations, companies, institutions that we are already a part of! Are they being socially responsible? Are they being accountable to the communities in which they operate? If we can rally for lower tuition costs, surely we can mobilize student groups to pressure companies, organizations and institutions who aren’t supporting the movement to reduce carbon emissions!

But where to start?

For a few years now, I’ve been hearing that the University of Ottawa is a green campus, a paperless campus, one dedicated to promoting green practices throughout. But I’m starting to wonder how much my student federation is actually doing to deliver on these claims.

I still receive a paper syllabus in all of my classes. I’m required to submit hard-copy (paper) format. I have never been given the option to purchase an e-book. Vending machines on campus still sell plastic water bottles… so what action has really be taken to make uOttawa green?

As a member by default of the student federation (a flawed system in my eyes and another blog for another time), I wanted to see what my student federation was doing about the environment…
Ironic that this particular month I take notice of how environmentally un-friendly my campus is because the student federation at uOttawa has declared the month of October: “Green Weeks”.

I checked out the University of Ottawa’s Student Federation to see what green policies were actually in place. I was somewhat disappointed to see that few of the “initiatives” entailed real action. Instead, it looks like students at uOttawa can look forward to a ‘green website’, a new framework and improved recycling at the SFUO headquarters.

Student federations are supposed to act in the interest of its students. Find out what your student federation is doing to protect our environment. Are some campuses doing it right?

A couple of days ago,Dolphin Entertainment announced that they just scored $100million in financing from Continental Entertainment Capital (CEC) for some flicks they're planning to make - six, to be precise. In the past, the company's made a bunch of made-for-TV movies as well as a couple series on Nickelodeon. Some basic research would tell me its not such a bad deal - except for one big flaw.

Apparently, the investment into Dolphin was based on the big successes of the High School Musical movies. The third movie grossed about $86million since it opened a couple of weeks ago, and had a total budget of about $11million. Those numbers aren't to shabby (although I don't know what kind of cut the studio would end up taking on $86m). Dolphin has had some success with their television series and some of their movies up to this point; it looks like they're ready to take on the big screen and make some mad cash.

Here's my concern with this $100million investment; you've established that there's a market for these High-School Musical-esque movies and all their hype; so what? Big blockbusters like this are hit and miss - For every one tween blockbuster out there, there's got to be fifty tween flicks that do nothing... "Drive Me Crazy" anyone? (the odds are stacked up even worse if you want High School Musical success)

All those odds of success aside (because that's not unique to the film industry and pretty difficult to control), the investors must be questioning the six movies to be financed with this $100million. The first flick is about a girl who gets her arm eaten by a shark, spends time in a hospital and then keeps on surfing when she gets out. There's a movie I definitely want to see as a tween (because I can't wait to be reminded that the main character was a horrific shark attack victim every time she can't high-five her friends and carry her surf board at the same time). I have to give the company some credit for putting something original together.

My concern is that one of the key strengths of this deal is their partnership with Sony Distribution; the caveat being that Sony maintains first right of refusal. If this first movie is a total bomb and Sony says "not interested", that might mean the flick won't be hitting the silver screen. It would be a bad precedent to set. The last thing Dolphin needs is CEC losing trust in their creative discretion - I could imagine them calling for a bunch of creative checks and balances if the first movie gives them any indication that they won't make their cash back.

Any thoughts on the ingredients to the perfect tween blockbuster?

I had the midterm blues, and it inspired me to write a song about it, and then make a music video for that song. Here it is:

October 31, 2008

Hey Ten-Years-Ago Me,

I checked with Thirty-Years-From-Now Me (us?) and he assures me that sufficient research has been done in the field of Historical Self Correspondence to confirm that with minimal hints to what the future holds, it’s fine to write to you. So rather than tell you what happens and warn you how to avoid it, I’ll offer you some insights and some advice that may help you without fundamentally altering the course of your life. This is a huge risk, I warn you. If you don’t want to take the chance of making things worse, then stop reading now. If you dare, however, then continue reading this letter knowing that you may not experience certain things (both good and bad) due to having read it. Let’s go.

First of all, I won’t bother telling you my current status since by the time you’re done this letter and make it to 2008 you may have changed the path. I can say, though, that I do get paid to write and have done some traveling. So those goals can certainly be attained if you strive for them. As for being awesome, was there ever any doubt? Come on. Haha. Trust me when I tell you that the decisions you make now are not going to determine what you can do with your life. At any moment, you have the power to change your path, whether it feels that way or not. Also, life has a funny way of changing that path for you. What may seem like a challenging or distressing event in your life may, in fact, become something positive in the months and years to come.

If you’re going to pursue a post-secondary education the unfortunate reality is that student loans will be a huge part of funding that education. There are other ways to do it and I highly suggest you look into scholarships, bursaries, student credit lines, government funding (for certain programs), contests and competitions (even if they’re canada-wide and you think the odds are slim). And take your time. There’s really no rush to graduate. If you want to take less classes, work while you study or even take time off then go for it. The myths that if you take a break you won’t go back, well it depends entirely on the individual.

You’re going to go through some things that will test you. Certain people will stand in your way and be obstacles, probably for no other reason than to satisfy something within themselves. It won’t be easy and sometimes you’re going to want to quit. Persevere and find creative solutions to these challenges, and become a better person because of them. You can’t control what other people are going to do, so just be the best you can be and keep plugging away at it until you get where you want to be. And if you do have to leave some things behind, then just hope that the future can bring them back to you, if that’s what you truly desire.

Before I go, I want to thank you. Looking back into the past HAS helped me realize some things. Once upon a time I was lost and unaware of the endless possibilities of life. I assumed that things had to take place a certain way and if they didn’t something was wrong with me. I quickly realized that what others do and how they do it, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the way I do it. Had someone told me that I would be where I am in 2008, I likely would not have believed them. I won’t tell you where that is, but rest assured that things could be much much worse (and they have been…sorry). So live your life and learn from the things that don’t quite work, and I’m confident you’ll achieve your goals.

Your Truly,

Your older, but still pretty youthful, Self

P.S. we don’t really call our decade anything. Maybe I’ll write to Ten-Years-From-Now Me to see if the next one is called the Teens.

P.P.S. keep using your French. Tu vas en avoir besoin!

P.P.P.S the wonderful woman says hello :-)

Looking back on the FLICK OFF Express, I can say for certain that it generated some memories that will not be soon departing my top of mind.

The FLICK OFF Express traveled across Ontario, and I with it, as we made stops at 4 major university campuses, being UWO in London, York in Toronto, Queens in Kingston and finally Confederation Park in Ottawa. Spending 4 days with some of the most brilliant environmental minds of our generation such as Dr. David Suzuki, Dr. Faisal Moola, Jose Etcheverry and Dominic Ali from the David Suzuki Foundation, along with Sarah Harmer, Gill Deacon, and the musical talents of The Constantines and Spiral Beach was, in itself, a pretty inspiring experience. What spoke to me the loudest out of the whole deal though was the fact that there are people whose unbridled passion for the environment far exceeds anything that I could possibly generate.

That being said, they rubbed off on me a little bit. Dr. David Suzuki was by far one of the most intense people I've ever met, and the biggest things that I took away from the tour was that we can change the world. But it's going to take a whole lot of action. It's not just about your own personal recycling habits. It's about getting to a sustainable economy to ensure a sustainable ecology.

Here's a video recap of the trip, with Dr. Suzuki speaking in Ottawa and other highlights of the trip:

Be sure to check out our YouTube channel as well for another video of the FLICK OFF Express tour.

A few weeks ago, I learned that all I do is think about myself, worry about myself, and think that I deserve nothing but the best. I don’t really care about others’ perspectives, nor do care about how I may affect those around me. Basically, I’m rude.

And you’re rude, too.

But to our defense, it’s not our fault… we were just raised that way.

In fact, we’re being labeled the “Generation Me”. And there’s a book all about it, appropriately called, “Generation Me”. On author Jean M. Twenge’s website, she defines Generation Me as anyone born in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s:

Generation Me has never known a world that put duty before self, and believes that the needs of the individual should come first. This is not the same thing as being selfish – it is captured, instead, in the phrases we so often hear: "Be yourself," "Believe in yourself," "You must love yourself before you can love someone else."

These thoughts of mine are the result of watching a documentary on the CBC called, Rude: Where are our manners? The show looked at how society has grown to be accepting of rudeness and the perpetual state that got us here. It also looked at how we can get ourselves out of this mess—but it’s not gonna be easy.

It’s not gonna to be easy because one day we’re going to have to face the reality that we’re not the only individuals on this planet. For some of us, it’s going to be a difficult realization to come to.

The documentary briefly discussed the impact this will have on us when we’re in the workplace. Apparently, the attitudes of some people in Generation Me will not only hinder their performance in the workplace, it may be a barrier keeping them from getting there altogether.

So, are we set up for failure? If we believe that we are entitled to things in life, will we not correctly prepare for the future? If we believe that we are entitled to things in life, will we not prepare ourselves financially for our future? According to the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, the number of students taking on student loans increased 76% between 1996 and 2004, and the average graduate with a bachelor degree owed about $20,000 to all sources. I know that tuition has increased over the years making it more difficult for students to pay for their education, but could we be proactive and properly prepare for that?

Are there any students out there who are in debt because they thought funding your education would have been easier?

Anyways, I should probably get going. I have a lot of stuff to get to. I know I can manage because I’m pretty good at getting things accomplished. I just hope I have time to do it all… I’m very busy…

I’m always on the search for more money saving blogs and info for students and recently I came across a blog called “the simple dollar”. This website is packed with blogs about practically any and every financial issue someone could have and the high readership makes for an enormous amount of comments. The thing I like about the comments is how serious and honest they are which helps me understand the issue at hand because there is someone else going through the same problem.

One of the most useful blogs is a series of blogs called “31 days to fix your finances” . It starts at the very foundation and then builds up your finances to the level they should be at. The recommendation starts with the reader writing down a list of their financial goals. The thing that I really respect about this blog is that it gets down to some core issues with our financial state of mind. For example the “simple dollar” claims that the set of values we work around make the biggest difference.

“The real truth is that we live according to a set of values. We continually perform actions based on values: our values mixed with the values of others. For example, my top value is my family. I want a good, fulfilling life for my wife and my son so that they can easily define and follow their own values.”

“Every person has a set of between four and six primary values that underline their life (we may have other values, but those values are secondary to the primary ones). Financial problems occur through distortions of those values: we come to believe that some things are vital to these values when they really don’t matter. Generally, this is what advertising seeks to do: it tries to express a core value that some people have and make their product seem essential to achieving that value.”

For me this gets to the really serious issues that plague most of us that are struggling financially. The values that “the simple dollar” are talking about refers to when our lives become financial unbalanced and we begin spending money on things that are not in line with our values and goals and then our cash flow becomes unbalanced.

One of my next favorites is titled “ten steps to financial success for a minimum wage earner” and it's perfect for the struggling student or young person that still wants to do well even if they are making peanuts.

The first tip for this topic is a little ridiculous but interesting. The blog claims that you should “go rural” and find a place to rent for $200 a month because it's much easier to live on minimum wage in a small town. Other tips include not driving as it sucks your money away, not being prideful with money and getting an education. The blog ends with some inspiration on working hard and believing you can make it:

“One final tip: don’t give up the dream. If you’re working a minimum wage job, either you’re very young, very lazy, or very unlucky. All of these can be overcome, but they take time and commitment and a lot of hard work. It’s very easy to give up the dream of a better life when you’re doing this. Don’t. You can succeed and you will succeed if you spend every day taking steps in the right direction. Surround yourself with people who are also fighting to go in the right direction. Don’t be resentful of people in a better situation than you - instead, use them as inspiration and realize that if you keep on the path, you’ll get there too.”

The Simple Dollar is a serious blog that deals with major financial problems that old and young people face. It is full of answers to tons of financial questions and often sheds light on the problems with a moral or ethical perspective which is interesting. So whether your rich or poor, young or old, The Simple Dollar is a blog to keep your eye on.

Yet another part in a series about producing your own short film. In this video, I looks at the production binder, and how it is a necessity to creating a short film, or any video production.

It's no secret that the Venture Capital scene in Canada is... well, less than impressive. Some say that its because Canada hasn't yet recovered from the 2001 bust (I think that argument worked in 2003). Its true that Canada's Venture Capital industry is below levels it achieved in the mid to late 1990's, but there's a litany of other issues the market is facing that are keeping it from being as big and bad as our southern neighbours.

I mean, your first instinct has got to be our proximity to innovation; We don't really have any thing the least bit similar to Silicon Valley that attracts the same, copious amounts of cash that the they do. What few innovative clusters we do have spitting out potentially successful innovations (i.e. Waterloo, maybe some stuff coming out of MaRS) , Canadian Venture Capitalists have been known to - for lack of a better phrase - screw it up. They end up buying into the idea too soon, the firm burns through the cash just in R&D and... that's it (or follow-up financing, but if you're a Canadian Venture Capitalist, chances are you don't have a lot of cash to play with in the first place).

Canadian VC seems pretty dismal; Its probably not as bad as I'm making it out to be; Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) publishes an interesting report that outlines the million and one things wrong with Venture Capital in Canada and gives some suggestions on how to fix it.

On the lists of Why VC just isn't flying here:

1) Government doesn't dole out enough cash money to finance R&D; VCs end up paying for it.

2) Each round of fund raising (that's when a VC firm raises money from people to invest in business) is A LOT smaller than the USA. So that means less time spent on good investments and more time spent fund raising (not good).

3) 4.1% return on average (according to McKinsey, its -2% over five years and 2% over 10, versus 2% and 20% respectively in the US). I don't think the risk justifies the reward.

What does it come down to? Canada's VC scene is just a reflection of it's entrepreneurial scene; I don't think Canadians make great and innovative entrepreneurs. The BlackBerry Fund (in which RBC Ventures has a big stake) just forked out over $16million this past week - but not in Canada. I just don't know if we're innovative enough.

Thoughts? (and don't try telling me the zipper is innovative)

April 7, 1998

Hey Ten-Years-From-Now Me,

I know you probably won’t respond, because you’re too busy writing books, traveling the world, helping the poor or just being all-around awesome. I figured I would try anyway, though. As you know, since you were once in this exact spot, I have the decision to make of what to do with my life. I feel like what I decide at this very moment, freshly turned 18, will determine the rest of my life. Doesn’t seem to make sense to do it this way, does it? Because I get good grades, it’s assumed that I’ll go to university. I’ve been accepted into a couple of different ones but I don’t really know what I wanna do, so is it wise to just go anyway? That seems to be what most people are telling me I should do.

Other options would be to go to a college of some sort, and do something more hands-on and practical. I hear the courses don’t take nearly as long and there’s a better chance of finding a job. Or, I could just try to work and/or travel, since I might not get the chance to do it later. I sure would like to see Europe. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it there someday. One thing I want to do, as you know, is write a book. With writing being something I enjoy, maybe I should pursue that. I just don’t know. So hard to decide what I want to do right NOW. If I don’t do it now, will it ever happen?

With teachers talking about STILL paying off their student loans, is that just the way it has to work? Might there be other ways of doing it? I don’t have much money saved, and the scholarship isn’t that much. I feel like graduating from university with such a huge debt load is counter-productive, a little. I could start my life right now and just jump right into it, and see where it takes me. But that’s so risky and against what everyone is suggesting I should do. You must be well into paying off your student loans, since I assume you graduated years ago. Man, I hope you’re doing alright because right now I’m not so sure where this is all heading.

Is that the point, Ten-Years-From-Now Me? That life will take you in all kinds of directions and that the smallest decisions can change SO much? Oh no, I probably shouldn’t ask you for a response to this letter at all, since your answers might make things worse. Part of me wants to know the future but that might ruin it for me, if I try to change things. I’m so confused. All I know is that I really enjoy learning. Unfortunately I have entirely too many interests and can’t really choose what to pursue. I guess that’s part of life though, right? Making mistakes, learning, moving on and rolling with the punches.

Well, it seems that even without your response, I’ve figured out something about the future: it’s uncertain and I’ll just have to follow my heart and see where that takes me (us?). I hope this letter finds you well, and who knows, maybe you learned something from ME. Haha. Wouldn’t that be funny, if hearing from Ten-Years-Ago You somehow helped you figure out YOUR future. Say hi to the wonderful woman I hope you’ve found by now, and tell her I look forward to meeting her. Does that even make sense? Man, this whole writing letters to future selves thing…kinda confusing. Take care!

Sincerely,

Your more youthful self

ps: being in the 90’s, I can’t help but wonder what you call the decade YOU’RE in! The 0’s? 2000’s?

pps: mom says if I don’t speak French that I’ll lose it. J’éspère que tu comprends encore le français!

Today is "Take our kids to work" day in Canada, and if you can remember the experience as I can, it is a day where grade 9 students accompany a parent or family member or friend to their job for a day.

Between 1:30pm and 2:30pm, I hosted a group of grade 9 students to talk to them about what RBC is doing to relate to students, things like RBC p2p, RBC Bankbook (Our facebook group) and various other initiatives.

We've spent the 2nd half hour writing a blog entry together, and this is the result...

Planning for the Future

In speaking with the group today at take your kids to work day, we talked about about goals for the future and what happens when you get to the end of high school and beyond.

It's apparent by Aziz's comment, "studying hard and getting a high paying job is to me" and by Sophia's comment about being about "how much university costs" that students are quite forward thinking.

"When you're in grade 9, not really thinking about stuff like that, it's in the back of your head, and you're not really thinking about it, but you still have to get prepared for it." says Anthony, who is also concerned about future transportation costs, "like your first car, and paying for car insurance".

When asked about how they will afford the costs of university, Eric advised that he would "look to [his] parents" while Caroline noted that "government and bank loans are available to help students out".

We talked about where students would get their advice. "I think school is a good way to get advice. Going to your guidance councelor really helps" Kortney advised. "I would look towards my brother, because he's 8 years older than me and he knows what it's like." says Adrian, seemingly not concerned. "Your parents have already been there and they would be a good place for advice as they might tell you what to do and what not to do" mentioned Anthony, to which Aziz threw in "and it helps that they're bankers too!"

All in all, I would say that these students are well prepared to look towards the future, and know where they need to go to get information about their finances.

If you think back to where you were in grade 9, what were your major concerns about the future?

It was a strange noise. I knew it couldn’t be a good thing, but I didn’t want to deal with it at one in the morning. So, I shut the computer down and told myself I’d take care of everything in the morning.

After a relatively good night’s sleep, I picked up the laptop and got set to fire off some emails.

Click. Click. Click.

It wouldn’t start. And it wouldn’t start again until I got it back from the repair shop with my very own brand new hard drive.

I lost everything. I didn’t back up my files. I have to start all over again.

But, I did learn a lesson—a less, I hope, not everyone has to learn they way I did… especially students. Who wants to lose pictures, music, essays, projects or presentations? You could graduate without potential portfolio material.

It’s Cheap

The ironic thing in my situation is that I’ve been eyeing external hard drives for some time now. I didn’t want to spend the money on one, but the cost of an external hard drive is nothing like it used to be. I’ve seen 500G of space for as low as $150. Compare that to the $1,500 the repair shop wanted to retrieve my information, and you’ve got a deal.

It’s Easy

Call me dumb, but I didn’t know that you can set your computer to automatically back itself up everyday. It makes sense—your computer can do everything else on its own. You can download software that will copy whatever specified folders you wish at whatever time of day you prefer.

It’s Online

It’s true… you can find everything online—including space to store all of your files. There are some sites that offer free online storage, but it’s usually limited. If you’re willing to pay for space, you can often get an unlimited amount. You can have your computer automatically back up your files this way, too.

It’s Over

I was told that because I wouldn’t be trying to retrieve any information, I had to send my old hard drive back to the manufacturer in order to get the new one. This is how the warranty works. This seems unfair to me because it’s not my fault that the computer died. Moreover, just because I can’t afford the retrieval now, doesn’t mean I can’t afford it another day. I explained this to the Call Centre, but it was to no avail.

THEN, I read about another blogger who was able to keep her old hard drive, while walking away with a new one. Now I’ve gained back my sense of loss…

Any sad hard drive stories out there?

Here's a video recap of my recent trip to Europe!

Its party time! You and your roommate or significant other have decided to hold a party at your house and invite the right people to make sure its hopping. How are you gonna ensure that this party is going to be talked about the way you want it to? How are you gonna get people to attend? When having a house warming party there are a few rules that will help you out if you stick to them.

Choose your theme

People need direction. They want to be themselves and make their own choices but they want someone to motivate them to make those choices and yet still fit in and feel comfortable. It is for this reason that one must have some sort of simple party them. For example you could have a lingerie + pajama party or a tight and bright night or even an Irish Luau (these are all recent events that I have been invited too). Also having a theme is more then just saying “this is the theme” you have to ask them to do, wear or bring something otherwise people are unlikely to get into it.

Use Facebook

Facebook allows users to create events, add photos and info and invite people to attend. It also lets them RSVP on the site itself. This method is a great way to get the info for the party up in one place so everyone who might come can check info like addresses and what to bring. Some issues with this method is that a lot of people wont RSVP on the site and it doesn't necessarily mean that they arent coming, it just means that they are part of the rising trend of RSVPing “maybe” to every event. In order to avoid this it will be necessary to call close friends and tell them about the party and have them pass on the message to others. It is common courtesy that a Facebook event invite does not constitute an official invite and you cant be insulted if friends ignore it. You must call people as well!

Invite a perfect balance of A people and B people and some C people

I don’t actually believe that there are people who are better then other people but I do believe that there are people at different stages of maturity, confidence and looks. As far as parties are concerned you have to make the perfect balance of A and B people and invite some C people, especially if your venue is a limited space like my condo. A people are confident, dress well, intelligent, leaders and most importantly have accessed that x factor that makes people attracted to them without them even making any effort. These are the people you must have at your party because their actions will be watched and they will make the party look good, give it a good reputation and respect. Now B people are just as important as A people because they are the ones that may not have the whole package but have something unique about them that almost always proves useful at parties. It may be their humor or their sense of style but either way most B people always want to be A people and so they will mingle with each other and that will get the party going even more. C people are important too because they often feel like they are lacking a lot of the A and B qualities but they usually want them that much more and so they will either rise or fall from their current position depending on their actions and that is both and partial purpose and result of parties. I am certainly no social darwinist but I do believe that the right mix of people makes an event memorable.

So with my roommate and I’s house warming party coming up tomorrow we will see how applying these ideas benefits or weakens the party. The most important rule for parties is plan as much as you can up to the party and then once the party happens relax and enjoy it like it was nothing. If you arent relaxed they wont relax either and will feel as though it was over done. So I hope that helped and please enjoy responsibly one of the oldest traditions known to man, the house party.

For more party tips there are lots of sites you can check out including Party2Win, or Brianx.com