See the Colourful Streets of 1900s Paris

Check out this link to see some astounding real colour photographs taken in early 1900s Paris. http://curiouseggs.com/extremely-rare-color-photography-of-early-1900s-paris/ Apparently the images have not been altered, touched up or Photoshopped in any way. They are the original images taken using Autochrome Lumiere technology. A technique invented by the Lumiere brothers. See the true colours of Paris in days long past! I think these images are fascinating. What do you think?

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Organized Reading: A classic, An alternative, A mind-expander, An industry book and A guilty pleasure

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my post about killing the post-holiday blues, I’m more than a bit of a bookworm. But I’ve decided to put this book-devouring nature of mine to good use. To do this, I devised a simple plan to become more well-rounded in my book selections.

My system is simple. I will alternate between reading :

•          a classic novel
•          an alternative book (this can be a graphic novel, poetry, essays, or just a post-modern style novel)
•          a mind-expanding non fiction
•          an industry book – something related to my field (advertising, marketing, writing in general)
•          a guilty pleasure

Courtesy of the Ottawa Public Library, and one Christmas gift, my first 5 have been selected.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith
Written in 1943, this is a classic novel about poverty, alcoholism, sexuality, honesty and the need for optimism and tenacity in early 20^th century Brooklyn.

The Complete Cosmicomics – Italo Calvino
A collection of postmodern short stories loosely following the creation and history of earth and the universe from the point of view of characters that have lived and experienced the entire thing. A major theme is love and evolution. Unlike anything I have ever read, by the genius author of If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler

The God Delusion – Richard Dawkins

The blockbuster, non-fiction book by genius Richard Dawkins that argues that the belief in a “nonexistent personal God” qualifies as a delusion - a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence. I know almost everyone and their mother has read this book, which shows just how necessary organizing my reading really is.

The Idea Writers – Teressa Iezzi

This guide to copywriting in the ever-evolving world of advertising and marketing, discusses the change from the static ad to the interactive, multiplatform ads of today. Can’t wait to learn what this great book has to teach me on sharpening my creative writing skills for today’s changing industry.

And Finally…

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
It’s finally time I read the book that everyone is talking about. I mean, it’s already an award-winning film. Gosh. This is my chosen guilty pleasure, a novel that people have been rightfully shoving in my face for ages. Apparently once I start, I won’t be stopping till I’ve turned the last page. Looking forward to this one, if for no other reason than to shut up my sister.

Wish me luck!

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What They're Really Saying on the Field

Under: Video of the week

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Is there a future for public libraries?

How will they evolve as E-books eclipse the paper book?

In the battle between traditional books and E-books, many would say traditional books are on the path to retreat. While Kindles and Kobos provide a simple, compact, technological alternative to the burden and clutter of weighty paper tomes, it may be hard to argue in favour of the traditional book. E-books and E-readers make accessing literature as simple and convenient as the click of a mouse. Compare that to the tactile experience of traveling to a book store or library, searching bodily for a volume and physically carrying it to and fro.

But do the boons of the changing literary technology render the traditional book and it’s once ubiquitous community outlet - the library, obsolete?

To me, a frequent library patron and lover of books, it would be a crying shame to close the communities’ libraries. In the matter of the physical book versus the electronic version, it can be a matter of personal preference. Some prefer to collect and build up their bookshelves, some just like the feel of thumbing the pages, for others it goes further involving nostalgia and childhood memories. But is the practicality of housing, transporting and manufacturing the paper book becoming simply not worth it?

I could go on about the virtues of the paper book and how I believe enthusiasts like myself will ensure they never completely fade away. But the library issue is about more than paper vs click. Many would argue that as long as people are reading, what matters the format? E-books are cheaper, easier on the environment, available at a click. True, all true. But let’s get back to libraries.

If E-books, and the receding popularity of reading in its traditional sense are to blame for the closure of libraries then the libraries must evolve. And many are. Many libraries across the modern world are digitizing their collections. Unfortunately government cuts in funding to public libraries have been increasing steadily since the 1990s. Ironically, this makes it difficult for libraries to modernize, making themselves more accessible to today’s public.

Many of you might be thinking back on the last time you set foot in a public library. Was it that research paper in 4^th year? Yes, library attendance is going down. But for a large segment of the population it provides a much needed haven. For years libraries have been providing a bridge over the digital divide, providing computer and internet access freely to the public. Providing a warm place to go, learn and feel connected is a vital service our community needs.

So all that to pose  the question:

Do you see an evolution or an extinction of the world’s public libraries?

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Killing the Post-Holiday Blues

Your pocketbook is empty and your Visa bill high, the shops and bars are ghost towns, you’ve packed on a few extra pounds and it’s freezing out. The cheerfulness of the holiday season is over and the rest of the bleak winter is before us. Here come the post-holiday blues.

For as long as I can remember the weeks following New Year’s Day have been filled with a devastating holiday hangover. The weeks-long build-up of holiday cheer, shopping, eating, drinking, socializing, spending, reaches a crescendo over the week of Christmas and New Years and promptly drops us off the other side into a bleak, icy-cold abyss. Perhaps you think I’m being a bit dramatic. I am. But truthfully, this time of year can be an awfully depressing one. A lot of people throw themselves into the ambition of resolutions and new beginnings. This sounds like a lot of work.

So how do we make it fun?

Similar to the resolutions, I have devised a plan. A 5 Step Plan. Some things I will do to enjoy the winter, rebound my bank account, lose some holiday pounds and have a good time doing it.

Step 1: Write More

First things first, I will write more. Writing is what I love to do, so why not start there? My goal is for one extra piece of writing per week - be it short story, poem, essay, journal entry, what have you. Some of these gems I will share with you here.

Step 2: Organized Reading

I have no problem picking up a book. I love reading as much as I love writing. Some might even say I devour books. I will read most things thrown at me and do. So here, my plan is to have a plan when it comes to what I read over the coming frigid weeks. Alternating between mind-expanding non-fiction, business-related non-fiction, classic fiction, alternative (ex: graphic novels, essay collections, etc), and of course guilty pleasures. I’ll keep you posted on my reading list.

Step 3: New Opportunities

I will make a conscious effort to seek out and experience new opportunities. In my career, socially, and by trying things outside my comfort zone. Skydiving anyone?

Step 4: Improve my French

My enthusiasm to learn a second language goes way back to my early childhood when my bilingual babysitter would speak to me in French and English. I continued my French studies all through elementary and high school, learning the basics. But why go only half way? Algonquin College Language Institute, here I come.

Step 5: Make Winter My Friend

Winter and I have been frenemies for most of my life. Though I’ve always enjoyed winter activities like sledding and skating, over the years the cold temperatures have become more and more of a deterrent. This winter I aim to stop dashing from door as quickly as possible and whole up in my warm and cozy apartment. I will bundle the hell up and face the cold head on. I will hit the canal with sharpened skates, resume my burgeoning love affair with snowboarding, and maybe even take up cross country skiing. Take that winter! 

And just like that I will put to rest the post-holiday blues. How will you beat the blues?

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