Swine flu test
Go here to find out if you might have swine flu, or I guess I should call it H1N1. Not to be insensitive because I know this is a real problem – Ottawa has seven confirmed cases, by the way - but I thought this was pretty funny.
I think I tend to be on the extreme side of things when global issues like this arise. As in, I have a hard time caring at all. Of course, I feel terrible about the people who have died, I hope they find the cause and I don’t want people to suffer.
But I also don’t freak out about how it could affect me personally. I don’t wash my hands incessantly or quarantine myself. I don’t watch the climbing numbers of confirmed cases or track the disease across the world. I haven’t been to Mexico recently, I don’t know anyone who has and am therefore not going to get anxious about it.
Though seven cases in the city is a big deal, it’s also seven people with minor symptoms out of about a million. I’m not going to expend a lot of energy worrying about becoming the eighth case.
Brick and gravel
My sister and I took a couple of SLR cameras and wandered around Cornwall a few weeks ago. The city used to boast a massive Domtar paper mill (giving Cornwall the reputation for being a smelly town), but it closed several years ago and is in the process of being torn down. I got a couple of shots through the chain link fence of the destruction.
Here’s some photos from the afternoon.
We discovered an old house of some kind … it was sweet.
My sister, Karen. She rocks.
An old railway car …
Karen hugs a cannon.
Karen took this shot. She’s good.
The end.
Court reporting
Yesterday was quite the experience … a packed courtroom, all the big media personalities, Larry O’Brien squeezed onto the end of a row with his sons, ex-wife and current wife next to him. Read my story on yesterday’s trial proceedings here.
Terry Kilrea took the stand in the morning, after Crown prosecutor Scott Hutchinson made his opening statement. I had heard much of his testimony before, but there was more detail and it was maybe just more impacting to hear him tell the whole story in person. About meeting with O’Brien in July 2006, when the business owner allegedly bribed him to drop out of the mayor race – but admitted he didn’t have to make an offer, he could also have just sabotaged his campaign. Pretty explosive stuff.
But then defence lawyer Michael Edelson began his cross-examination and began carefully picking Kilrea apart. Kilrea did a lot of head shaking back and forth but answering yes, and saying he couldn’t recall details or names; he also made a couple of statements that I’m sure didn’t help his case in the least, and Edelson was just getting started. He didn’t even get to the interaction between Kilrea and O’Brien. That’s probably happening today … but due to layout and deadlines, I’m in the office instead of the courtroom.
Edelson had a couple of very interesting questions … including one regarding Kilrea’s campaign webmaster Tim Tierney. The defence asked Kilrea regarding any blogs one or both of them might be involved in.
Cityholler.blogspot.com, the pro-O’Brien site, has suggested Tierney is the anonymous O’Brien-basher behind zeromeanszero.blogspot.com. I wonder if the authors of those warring blogs will reveal themselves during or after the trial … I guess it depends on the verdict.
So, that was my first court reporting experience. My favourite part?
During the morning recess we were all standing around outside courtroom number 36. I was just chilling, jotting some random notes on my notepad when a guy next to me started chatting with O’Brien. I was only half paying attention so I don’t know what they were talking about, but after about 30 seconds O’Brien said something like, “Oh, I can’t talk about that,” and motioned in my direction, muttering about the media. Haha!
Playoff finals without Canada
I’m so bummed Vancouver is out of the playoffs. They were the last hope for Canada but the Stanley Cup will be handed out south of the border once again. Crazy game tonight … the Blackhawks and Canucks were trading goals back and forth – the final score was a whopping seven to five. With Vancouver’s loss, we may have seen the end of Mats Sundin … what do you think?
I was also disappointed to see Canada lose the gold medal game to Russia in the World Championships on Sunday.
On the plus side, I got five or six points in my hockey pool tonight. It’s a small consolation; I lost my Sedin twin.
O’Brien trial, day three
I’m covering the trial of Ottawa mayor Larry O’Brien today. Other than a brief assignment during school, I haven’t done any court stories before, so this should be interesting. There’s a good chance Terry Kilrea will be called as the first witness.
Unfortunately, I am BlackBerry-less, otherwise I would be posting updates here and on my Twitter feed throughout the day. You’ll just have to come back here later this afternoon to read my article and about my experience.
Here’s a poll I posted last week, for all of you that haven’t voted yet. Let me know what you think about the criminal charges against our mayor and his chances in the next election.
New url
Thanks to the fabulous technological intelligence of my lil’ bro, Ryan, you – my faithful readers – now no longer have to type in the ridiculously long url I chose for my blog name. Now, you can simply hit www.cherylbrink.com and you will come directly here to read the most recent rant or latest news. Eventually I hope to have a whole website up on that domain name as I used to, but I’m slightly short on time and software for that at the moment.
Oh, and happy mother’s day to all you beautiful women out there! I happen to have a stupendous person for a mom, and two sisters who are phenomenal mothers as well.
Backstage
It begins two weeks before opening night, in the bustle of rehearsals, light set-up and set construction. It ends with the cast and crew celebrating a successful show after the lights dimmed in the auditorium.
Over the last three weeks, I have spent numerous hours at the Kanata Theatre. I got a sneak peak at their current production, Scotland Road, and wrote a feature on what goes on behind the curtain. It was one of the most fun pieces I have ever worked on, and in the process I fell in love with community theatre. Though I didn’t actually do anything except sit, watch, interview and photograph, I somehow still felt part of what happened on stage opening night.
Everyone involved – from the actors on stage to the set constructors and ticket sellers – are volunteers. Except for the cleaner, who ensures the Ron Maslin Playhouse is spotless each night. Even without a paycheque, all of the cast and crew members are devoted to each production, spending hours of their time preparing after a full day’s work simply because they love theatre.
Here’s some photos from my time backstage.
Stavros Sakiadis and Tim Finnigan get into character under the bright lights at the makeup table.
Tim has his own film-making company with his brother, Finnigan Productions.
Kristy Allen applies eyeliner in the upstairs prep room before dress rehearsal.
Tim Finnigan and Stavros Sakiadis rehearse a scene from Scotland Road - a play about the sinking of the Titanic.
For the story of how Scotland Road went from a script to the finished production, go here. To see the published layout (and more photos), click here.
Dorothy Beak and Jenefer Haynes show off their mugs; all the Kanata Theatre cast and crew members (past and present) have their designated drinking cup. The personalized mugs are all over the theatre's backstage rooms.
Karl Wagner adjusts the lighting on stage from the booth behind the auditorium.
“Neither one can exist without the other one,” says Kristy about the cast and crew.
Diane Cote (as Miss Kittle) and Kristy Allen (as the Woman) rehearse a scene from Scotland Road a couple of weeks before opening night.
Director Dorothy Gardner adjusts Tim/Halbrech's lab coat.
“I can’t sing, I can’t dance and I can’t play an instrument. I had to become an actress or I’d be disowned,” says Dorothy about growing up in an uber-theatrical family.
Cast, actors, and family hang out in the costume/makeup room before the show begins.
The spotlight is on Kristy and Stavros as they perform the final scene of Scotland Road.
“I know what it’s about, but it’s up to you what it’s about. That’s why the play was written,” says Dorothy after the show, when the audience wonders what Scotland Road is really trying to say. “The play is simply to get the audience thinking.”
Want more? Go to the theatre!
O’Brien on trial
Larry O’Brien left his job in the mayor’s office on Friday and instead of going to work today, he’s going next door to the Elgin Street courthouse. His trial has begun.
Both he and his staff are without jobs or a paycheque until this all over. If he is found guilty, his career at city hall will be finished. I believe it is despite the verdict – even if he does come back and run again, I think he’s made enough messes that people won’t vote for him twice. Councillor Michel Bellemare will be acting mayor for most of O’Brien’s leave of absence.
He’s been charged with influence peddling during the 2006 election. It will be an interesting few weeks as politicians from all levels of government, their staffers and others are called to the witness stand.
Here’s a few links to trial coverage. We’ll be covering it in the Kourier-Standard as well, so stay tuned.
CBC
Ottawa Citizen
Canadian Press
What do you think of all of this?
Cheryl