Category: Miscellaneous

#077: Social Enterpreneurship Experience

Post author By Mary Leong
Post date November 23, 2009

or, “How to be capitalist without being a twit”

Currently listening to: “Pangea” – Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Both Rabi and Erica have written splendid entries replete with pictures about their experiences at the conference held by Enterprize Canada, so I shall make this concise. Suffice to say, it was quite brilliant. My usual reading and discussion in social justice issues tend to lean towards change enacted through government policy and legislation, so this brief but jolly jaunt on the other side of the public/private rainbow was fascinating and informative.

Numbered Bullet Points For Your Lack of Attention Span:

1. Ethics, not exploitation!

2. Emotions shouldn’t be glossed over in the decision-making process. (Cognitive Psychology, holla!)

3. Extended metaphors involving flying primates are most excellent.

4. Exciting things discussed: fair trade coffee! (with the legitimate definition, you have no idea how happy-making this was), environmental stewardship, opportunities for empowering women, solutions for homelessness

5. Enthusiastic, knowledgeable and inspiring speakers. Ken Lyotier is basically the coolest guy ever. Case in point: as a result of his own life experiences, he founded United We Can, a sustainable venture combining environmental efforts with poverty reduction. /commence geeking out, I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.

So, all-around absolutely wicked conference, and I’m incredibly glad I attended. Hurrah!

Now, back to the murky world of Montaigne (inventor of the essay, oh you devil)…

Tags conferences, SEE

Academic Miscellaneous

#075: Philip Zimbardo at UBC!

Post author By Mary Leong
Post date November 22, 2009
3 Comments on #075: Philip Zimbardo at UBC!

Currently listening to: “Somebody to Love” – GLEE Cast

After a few weeks of intense geeking-out, finally, finally!, the Zimbardo lecture! Entitled “A Journey from Evil to Heroism”, it started off with a brief run-down about his Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) and its relevant societal implications. Following the grim discussion of systemic evil, he took on a more optimistic tone, speaking of the absolute necessity of encouraging everyday heroism as a bulwark against the human potential for cruelty. I must say I’m amazed and inspired – despite (or perhaps, as a result of) his first-hand experience of experimental subjects travelling down the slippery slope into depravity, his unwavering conviction in the equally powerful potential for positive action is commendable. An absolutely splendid lecture, not a single wasted word.

And I got my book signed! He seems so incredibly approachable and amiable (:
Signed book!

I’ve been blogging quite a bit lately, so you can expect an entry coming up soon about the social enterpreneurship conference which I just attended. Till then, Medieval French Lit demands my attention, the cheeky blighter…

Tags Philip Zimbardo, talks

Miscellaneous

#074: RIP, brolly.

Currently listening to: “Alejandro” – Lady GaGa

Brolly, you had been the best of companions. And now you rest in the garbage can in the Gage lobby, alongside your fallen compatriots, a mere shadow of your glorious polkadotted past. Just like your predecessors, you served well in times of desperate need (not forgetting times of less urgency, of course). Where Mary Poppins impersonations seemed apt, you were the perfect prop. When poking the up button in the elevator seemed more appropriate than simply leaning over, you were always there. Late-night traipsing between Gage and Fairview would have filled me with raccoon-avoiding trepidation if not for your presence, warding them off at arm’s length. And if there was a scene to be made, a flounce-off accompanied by a dramatic jab always seemed to do the trick. Not to mention the following: countless baton-twirls along lonely midnight walks, reaching for objects high-up, smacking irreverent individuals, and my god, accessorizing! What larks we had!

and thus commences the Search, once again, for that perfect walking umbrella of just the right height, with the perfectly curved handle…

Tags rain

Academic Miscellaneous Student Life

#069: Of precocious children and one-liners

Post author By Mary Leong
Post date October 24, 2009
2 Comments on #069: Of precocious children and one-liners

Currently listening to: “Fashionable People” – Joel Plaskett Emergency

I do hate to use the excuse of life and work distracting me from updating on a semi-regular basis; alas, I must throw that out here. Amidst the steady loop of midterms (take one) and term papers and midterms (take two) and commitments to various extracurriculars, this sad blog seems to have fallen by the wayside. Mea culpa. Nevertheless, it’s nice to note that as we hurl ourselves into the neverending cyclone of paper and pen, there is much cheeriness around to be thankful for.

Such as the hilariously inquisitive comments of the young. The other night at work, the up escalator was broken (leading to much grumbling from all parts, including a slightly batty old lady – but that’s really a whole other story). This conversation between myself and a small-ish child followed.

Child: (befuddled) Why is there no up escalator?
Me: Well, it’s broken.
Child: Oh. (pause) Will it be there next time we come back?
Me: Yes. Yes, it will.

That takes me to the man behind me on the bus, who, in a startling fit of insight, provided us with the following gem.

“I wish buses could fly.”

Man, trust me, so do I. Especially if it were to be a flying double-decker bus. That would take us to new heights of flying vehicular frenzy.

In more personal news, I am now, as of yesterday morning, officially Canadian. My roommates, delightful bats they are, have been entertaining me all day with their pitch-perfect renditions of “Canadian Please“. It is kitschy, gloriously cheesy, and alarmingly catchy. The inner political geek in me does loop-de-loops and twirls of joy at the prospect of being eligible to exercise my ~voting rights~. It is all rather exciting!

With reference to my previous post, I still have yet to acquire a laundry card. The washing of clothing in the sink seems to have gone rather splendidly so far. Though I am on the verge of caving; we have some rather grotty-looking dish towels which could use a good tumble wash.

Alas, the Poli Sci paper I’m supposed to be researching beckons. Back to the murky world of the IMF and World Bank! Thank god I actually enjoy reading about this stuff. Till the next time, dear readers, I bid thee adieu.