GAAAHHH. Blogging hasn't just been light lately, it's been non-existant. I've been in a non-writing mode, focusing on business planning for the past couple of weeks. It's something I should have done when I started to freelance but strategic planning and being a journalist seem like things that shouldn't go together.
But this weekend pulled me back into the news world. My wonderful and talented husband won a National Newspaper Award for politics reporting (he's not in the photo - that's Graeme Smith from the Globe, who won two well-deserved awards. But they have matching post-Afghanistan beards).
Besides the amazing high from Steve winning an award, it was fabulous to see all the excellent journalism done around the country. Simply reading the list of nominations doesn't do justice to the investigations and reporting that newspapers still manage to squeeze out, despite cutbacks. It's been a bad year for the business, but this was a nice reminder that some newsrooms are still committed to shining light into darkness.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Steyn on Iggy
Mark Steyn reviews Michael Ignatieff's True Patriot Love. This isn't the meat of his argument, just the pithiest part:
"It’s tempting to respond, “Oh, bugger off, you ridiculous poseur,” and pass on to something more rewarding, like Paris Hilton’s Twitter feed."
Most of the time Steyn makes me want to throw my magazine across the room. This time he holds my attention for the entire column.
"As to the idea that it’s “a story about us,” no, it’s a story about him: the vandalism he does to the memory of Kaydance and Santana Pauchay, the tasteless opportunism of cashing in on their fate by conscripting a grimly particular episode to the cheap generalities of societal guilt, the horrible glimpse inside the husk of a man once genuinely engaged by Iraq and Bosnia and reduced by ambition to peddling what he knows to be bilge."
The review is called Iggy's morally contemptible words.
"It’s tempting to respond, “Oh, bugger off, you ridiculous poseur,” and pass on to something more rewarding, like Paris Hilton’s Twitter feed."
Most of the time Steyn makes me want to throw my magazine across the room. This time he holds my attention for the entire column.
"As to the idea that it’s “a story about us,” no, it’s a story about him: the vandalism he does to the memory of Kaydance and Santana Pauchay, the tasteless opportunism of cashing in on their fate by conscripting a grimly particular episode to the cheap generalities of societal guilt, the horrible glimpse inside the husk of a man once genuinely engaged by Iraq and Bosnia and reduced by ambition to peddling what he knows to be bilge."
The review is called Iggy's morally contemptible words.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Getting it right
As someone who relies on public transit in Ottawa, I've been watching the downtown tunnel discussion closely.
This disturbed me:
"Rogers said the problem with veering northward at Kent Street [from Albert Street to Queen Street - ed.] is that it will reduce the rail line's future potential ridership because there will be new development on streets like Slater and Laurier Avenue, rather than farther north on Queen and Sparks. Rogers said that by staying farther south, the city would be able to include buildings such as the Bell Canada tower within reasonable walking distance of the subway."
The distance between Albert Street and Queen Street? Two blocks. Not wide city blocks. Just normal-sized streets. That take all of 30 seconds each to walk down. Having to walk from Laurier Avenue to Queen Street might dissuade someone from taking light rail if they're only going a few blocks to begin with. But no rational person would choose to drive into downtown, find and pay for parking and deal with all of the related problems just because it means they have to walk two minutes less to get to their office tower. Unless they're looking for a reason to keep using their car, but at that point it's not the two block walk that's going to change their mind.
Let's have a rational discussion on light rail. There are plenty of wrinkles to iron out. This isn't something that should slow down the debate.
This disturbed me:
"Rogers said the problem with veering northward at Kent Street [from Albert Street to Queen Street - ed.] is that it will reduce the rail line's future potential ridership because there will be new development on streets like Slater and Laurier Avenue, rather than farther north on Queen and Sparks. Rogers said that by staying farther south, the city would be able to include buildings such as the Bell Canada tower within reasonable walking distance of the subway."
The distance between Albert Street and Queen Street? Two blocks. Not wide city blocks. Just normal-sized streets. That take all of 30 seconds each to walk down. Having to walk from Laurier Avenue to Queen Street might dissuade someone from taking light rail if they're only going a few blocks to begin with. But no rational person would choose to drive into downtown, find and pay for parking and deal with all of the related problems just because it means they have to walk two minutes less to get to their office tower. Unless they're looking for a reason to keep using their car, but at that point it's not the two block walk that's going to change their mind.
Let's have a rational discussion on light rail. There are plenty of wrinkles to iron out. This isn't something that should slow down the debate.
Ottawa weekend
This is an exciting weekend in Ottawa. There's tons and tons to do. It's like spring has hit and everyone wants to take advantage. Some of the things I'm considering doing:
1. You Say Party! We Say Die! at Babylon on Saturday night (part of BC Scene through the NAC)
2. Outdoor art in Chinatown on Saturday afternoon
3. Vintage shoe sale at Victoire Saturday 2-9pm
4. Tulip Festival
5. Jane's Walk Ottawa
We also have two birthday outings with friends to work into the schedule.
I have to promote the Apartment613 blog here. Most of the fun stuff around town that I've been finding out about comes from them. They're super tuned into the cool kid scene and they have a fab blog to let us all know what's happening.
1. You Say Party! We Say Die! at Babylon on Saturday night (part of BC Scene through the NAC)
2. Outdoor art in Chinatown on Saturday afternoon
3. Vintage shoe sale at Victoire Saturday 2-9pm
4. Tulip Festival
5. Jane's Walk Ottawa
We also have two birthday outings with friends to work into the schedule.
I have to promote the Apartment613 blog here. Most of the fun stuff around town that I've been finding out about comes from them. They're super tuned into the cool kid scene and they have a fab blog to let us all know what's happening.
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