October 17th in history

On this day in history a few important events took place…

1931 – Well-known gangster, Al Capone (“Scarface”), is found guilty of income tax evasion. One week later, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison in addition to a fine of $50,000.

1933 – Dr. Albert Einstein and his wife – who are fleeing from Nazi Germany – arrive in Princeton, New Jersey, where he will continue his scientific work at the Institute of Advanced Study.

1943 – The 415-km Thailand Burma railroad between Bangkok, Thailand and Rangoon, Burma is completed. During the construction of the railway, approximately 13,000 prisoners of war and 100,000 civilians died as a result of the living and working conditions.

1979 – Mother Teresa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on behalf of the poor and destitute in Calcutta, India.

2006 – The United States population reaches 300 million.

Da Vinci definitely was a genius

Last night, I visited the Da Vinci Exhibit with a few friends. It was a completely random, last minute adventure, but I had been dying to visit it for months. I’ve made a point of attending every exhibit that is showcased there, and so far, they all have been fantastic.

The Da Vinci Exhibit was no exception. I knew that he had been both painter and inventor, but to what extent is incredible. In addition to creating prototypes for hang gliders and parachutes, Da Vinci was the man behind the tank, the life preserver, the light box, scuba diving gear and the submarine. He developed pulleys and hydraulic systems, as well as tools for warfare, including cannon transportation devices and ladders to scale buildings.

A replica of the tank Da Vinci created...

He was also interested in human anatomy, and is rumoured to have dissected over 30 cadavers throughout his life. This I found to be slightly creepy – especially when faced with a wall of his drawings of human parts – but it was the only way to learn about the human form at the time.

This all came from the man who painted both the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper – two of the most famous paintings in the world today.

The Mona Lisa - the real painting is tiny, but that doesn't stop millions of people from travelling to the Louvre in Paris to see it every year...

Da Vinci kept a collection of detailed journals throughout his life (five of which are featured in the exhibit). He was also always drawing, and making notes on the pages. Any time he would write, Da Vinci would write backwards. By using a mirror, one could read his text properly.

Some people believe he was dyslexic; others believe he was paranoid, and didn’t want his words to be easily read by competition. Either way, the backwards style of writing is uniquely Da Vinci, and adds yet another level of mystery and intrigue to an already interesting man.

I guess a person can create many, many things throughout his or her lifetime when they lack modern amenities such as television, the Internet and the radio…

Check out the exhibit soon, because it’s only in Winnipeg for a few more weeks!

Leonardo da Vinci:

- Born April 15, 1452, near Florence, Italy

- Died May 2, 1519, at Clos Lucé, France

Facebook updates from beyond the grave

This morning, a friend on Twitter posted the following: “I hate getting Facebook birthday reminders from friends who are dead. It’s creepy.”

Immediately, I responded with: “Ack! I really hate that too.”

I continued with my morning, but there was something about the brief Twitter exchange that I couldn’t erase from my mind. When I started to really think about it, I realized that I have wanted to write this blog post for a very long time…

Many people have the unfortunate experience of losing a loved one. Now, with social media being so prevalent in our world, the loved one who passed was probably a Facebook user. The family left behind is faced with the daunting and uncomfortable task of contacting Facebook, explaining the situation and asking for the profile to be removed.

No one wants to do that, and I can’t imagine it’s an easy process.

As a result, some families leave deceased Facebook profiles as they are. Friends can continue to post for days, months, or in some cases, years after the person has died. And, friends also receive pre-set updated from that person – including birthday reminders.

Currently, I am friends with two deceased Facebook users. I refuse to delete them, because I feel as though that action would dishonour their memories in some way. Eventually I will delete them, but for the moment I am stuck receiving their notifications.

This brings me to the question that lies at the heart of this blog post: Is it okay to ask the family of the deceased person to have the Facebook profile removed?

If I am not particularly close to the family, I wouldn’t ever think of asking. But what if the person who died was a best friend, a relative or an ex-lover?

I don’t know if there is a “right answer” to this question. I guess I just had to get that out.

Bad publicity: does it exist?

On October 3, 2011, Amanda Knox was acquitted of the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher. The two girls had lived in an apartment in Perugia, Italy, where they both were completing an exchange program at the university.

In November 2007, Kercher was discovered dead in a pool of blood in her bedroom. Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were arrested a few days later and charged with the murder.

In 2009, both Knox and Sollecito were convicted of murder. They were sentenced to 26 and 25 year respectively for what the press called “cold-blooded murder.” A third defendant, Rudy Hermann Guede, was also convicted. His 16-year prison sentence is still being upheld by Italy's highest court.

Today, Knox is back home in Seattle. She plans to eventually return to university and complete her degree. She also has started writing a memoir about the experience, which is based on the journal she kept throughout her four-year incarceration.

An emotional Knox during a brief press conference in Seattle after returning home...*

There is also talk that Knox is considering offers from U.S. television networks to give an interview in a deal that could run to millions of dollars.

Ex-boyfriend Sollecito will apparently travel to Seattle to visit Knox in the near future, and rumours are circulating that she has also reunited with a pre-Perugia boyfriend.

All in all, things aren’t looking too bad for Knox at the moment.

This brings me to the question that has been bothering me since I heard about the verdict last week: Is there such a thing as bad publicity?

I’m not saying that Knox hasn’t gone through hell over the past few years. I can’t imagine how horrible prison, a guilty verdict and a potential 26 years behind bars must have felt for her. But now that she’s free, Knox will be able to make millions of dollars as a result of her experiences.

Some people believe she is guilty; others always professed her innocence. Either way, Knox is now a public figure who will be written about, followed and asked to appear in interviews for years to come. Even though the reason for the publicity is negative, she still will be getting attention.

And some people will accept attention of any kind…

I plan to continue following Knox’s story as it unfolds in the United States. Most importantly, I want to see how Knox handles herself, her re-entry into life, and of course, the publicity she is offered.

*Image taken from Google.

The mutant turkey from hell

I do not enjoy cooking, and the prospect of preparing an entire holiday meal is enough to make me want to hide in a closet, shut the door and turn off the lights forever.

The holiday meal preparation – in our household – is left to my mom, who is much more efficient and talented than I will ever be in the kitchen.

The “event” took place in 2003 (insert scary drum roll here). It was our first Thanksgiving in Winnipeg after moving from Calgary, and mom went all out with the meal planning…

… except for the fact that she purchased a deformed turkey.

Apparently grocery stores sell a thing called a “utility grade turkey.” Ours came from Sobeys, although I’m sure you can purchase this atrocity from anywhere. When choosing a utility grade turkey, the consumer accepts the fact that not all of the limbs are intact. An arm or a leg may be missing, and the turkey as a whole lacks the “A list” aura that surrounds all the expensive birds further down the aisle.

This is an A-list turkey. Totally ready to party...

Mom bought a utility turkey. She said she’s done it before, and only a “little bit was missing.”

Well, a little more than a few “bits” were missing from our holiday feast. As mom pulled the turkey out of the bag, we noticed right away that both legs were missing. Upon closer inspection, so were both arms. As we tried to suppress giggles of horror, mom and I realized at the same time that we were staring at nothing more than a torso.

Did we ever buy a utility turkey again? Hell no. Did I eat turkey that Thanksgiving? Absolutely not. It made a great story over the dinner table, but at the time I was horrified. Who would sell something like that? And where did the limbs go??

Now this is a happy turkey...

Maybe this incident is the reason why I don’t like turkey. Or, it could be the reason why I despise cooking. Either way, the mutant turkey left enough of a lasting impression that not a Thanksgiving goes by that I don’t think about the bird that just wasn’t good enough.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Publications at IISD

It seemed appropriate to take a moment and point out a few projects I worked on while completing a CreComm internship at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

When I entered the office on my first day, a huge stack of scientific-looking documents greeted me. Immediately, it was explained that my job would be to read through the teetering pile of information, extract the most important points, and write content for a brochure that would be easy for the “everyday person” to understand.

Then, I would take the same content, modify it and turn it into copy for a video that I would also voice. It was no easy task, but I actually enjoyed learning the definition of words like eutrophication.

To view the brochure I wrote copy and created the design for, click here.

To view the video I wrote copy for and voiced, click here.

Internships are a fantastic thing. They provide an opportunity to step outside one’s comfort zone and into a completely new world. It allows soon-to-be-graduated students an inside look as different career options. I wouldn’t trade my internship for anything, and I am very excited I have something to show for my three weeks at IISD.

Today in history: Ghandi was born

On this day in 1869, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi – the political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement – was born.

A pioneer of satyagraha – resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience – Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma or Great Soul. In India, his birthday is a national holiday. It is also celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Probably the most famous photo of Gandhi...

On January 30, 1948, Gandhi was shot while he was walking to a platform from which he was to address a prayer meeting. The assassin – Nathuram Godse – was a Hindu nationalist who held Gandhi responsible for weakening India by insisting upon a payment to Pakistan.

Even today, Gandhi is known to be one of the most influential individuals that ever lived. Today’s marks the birth of a truly wonderful man, and I hope we meet many more just like him in the future.