Public vs. Public Access

For my public policy analysis class, I have been working on a mock Cabinet Submission on the access of homeless people to public spaces, and their rights when in these spaces, most specifically, do they have a right to sleep in public places? My answer so far has been yes, withing limitations, if we don't have enough shelters for these people, than where else are they supposed to go?
Anyways, this has gotten me thinking about broader questions about how we, the public, view our spaces. It is my belief that we increasingly have turned public spaces into public access spaces via user fees, limitations, regulations and probably (well, in my mind) most profoundly by the increasing adoption of CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) initiatives that are being adopted nation-wide by various police agencies. This has led me to question how these initiatives have shaped how we view public spaces because the main idea behind CPTED regarding public spots such as parks is to make it easily for surveillance and clearly defined for 'legitimate' users as opposed to 'illegitimate' users. This has made parks boards including measures such as benches that have handles through the seats so that people cannot sleep on them. This has led me to think that 'illegitimate' users are specifically the homeless, which of course, makes sense from a police perspective.
My final question is when did we give the police the right to decide who is legitimate and who is illegitimate when it comes to public spaces? Isn't that the right of the government who administers such spaces? Don't get me wrong, I believe that regulation is needed to preserve such spaces and for public safety, but if we continue to redefine public spaces as only open to legitimate users as defined by the police, they are no longer public, but rather public access. Further, if we continue to push illegitimate users such as the street person that can't get a bed at the local shelter away from places such as parks, then where are they going to go? this is only serving to further ghettoize the people that are left on the margins.

Of Europeans and the Empress

Okay. First of all. I am NOT trying to 'out-blog' anyone, I am not even sure what this comment means! To have blog wars, maybe, but 'out-blog'? No. However, if any blog was to out-blog, it would be this one.

Yes, that is my roomate Can and I enjoying our highclass status at a reception and dinner at the Empress. In the Palm Court and Crystal Ballroom. So, after a whirlwind weekend of lists, registration, photocopying, having a few interesting conversations with PhD. Candidates and Professors, and enjoying some lectures on topics such as transatlantic issues, the EU and immigration and human rights in the EU, we were allowed to attend the dinner and reception. I must say, I felt classy after munching on hors d'oeuvures and drinking white wine (all free!).Let me say, after a few glasses of white wine, chatting with the honours co-ordinator at UVic was an interesting experience. I think I might be doing Honours again now. Oh well.
My registration friends, and my techie roomates had a lovely dinner experience complete with a starter salad, butternut squash soup (of which I need to learn how to make! delicious!) a main course of salmon. Heavenly.
Some head honcho of the EU (I know he is from Brussels) came and spoke to us, but by that point the wine had gone to my head. Afterwards, we went for evening caps in the Bengal lounge, which features a huge pelt of a tiger and weird ceiling fan things that are maybe supposed to complement the theme of British colonial India, maybe representing the Indians that fanned them? I don't know, I thought it was interesting.
Well, now that I am back to ordinary, non high-status life, maybe I should go get some groceries. Too bad it's raining! Lame!

Birthday Good Times

This past week or so has been a bit of a blur. At the moment I am quite caught up in helping to organize an European Studies Conference, it has been a whirlwind of envelope stuffing, typing, calling about sandwiches and accents. Mostly from the Romanian ladies I have been working with. Good Times. Well, I can honestly say that I definitely have NOT been worked as hard as my roomate Can. Props to him and his technical Guru-ness. On to other things.
My Birthday Dinner was a smashing success with as many as 13 people showing up, of which Christopher (Lauren's Boyfriend) was the sole male. I guess I made better friends with females in Vancouver. Funny thing is, that due to BC Ferries, I showed up last. Oh well! To top all this goodness of seeing old friends off, my sister was in town from California! So, a wonderful dinner and dessert was had by all, some people had to go to other "committments" (although I am not too sure what constitutes more importance than an old friend being in town, except maybe if you are exhaustingly tired! which some were...fair enough). Anyways, the evening ended with a decision to pursue our careers as dancers. Which, I would have to say we did pretty well! A gaggle of girls perused the various venues of Vancouver, finally making a decision to show off their dancing expertise at the (relatively) inexpensive gay bar. Yes, that's right. We went to Celebrities. There was many an interesting person there, however my favorite sight was the usage of lights on the male and female go-go dancers highlighting certain aspects of their physique. Lovely.
After a night of dancing and enjoying the sights and music, my personal favourite being when the DJ opted to play Boy George (I suppose it was appropriate given the atmosphere).
The night ended well with my sister driving us home, and me incredulously remarking to my old roomate Lindsay, I can't believe we got Kristin and Kim to go to a Gay Bar!
Meh. Good times were had by all.
The weekend ended with a baby shower, much enjoyment of my nephew and a long, but good, shift at my new job. This weekend will involve many highly-educated Europeans, FREE dinner at the Empress, and well, homework. Such is the life of a student.

Mood today: Inspired.
Not too sure why, nothing too drastic has happened to bring about my inspirational mood, maybe its because right now it is my favourite time of day. You know, right after the sun has gone down, but it is not quite dark out yet, just dusk-y and really beautiful. Especially today for some reason. Maybe because it was kind of gloomy and grey all day today and then over the past half hour it has cleared up and now it is a gorgeous blue sky with red highlights. I love it. So back to being inspired. Inspired to what? I am not totally sure. I started school again today, and although that should bring about some sort of mood containing anger towards having to attend school during summer time, I have absolutely NOTHING to complain about on that front. I am quite content, if not happy, to be going to school in the summer.
Besides, I have booked my ticket to Mexico, secured a reference from the poli sci chair to be an international elections observer. 5 points for Sylvia!
So, this class I am taking at the moment...Public Policy. Sounds boring. Probably will be. 60% of our grade is based on this Cabinet Submission project we have to do. Basically, it is a mock submission to implement some sort of policy of interest to us. The guidelines we have are, we are not allowed to do anything that is too huge to handle (ie. Revoking NAFTA) or, anything Municipal.
This has got me thinking as to what I should do mine on. I was originally thinking of researching some sort of Aboriginal grievance, but something else has come up in my brain.
Latex.
In case any of you didn't know, I think you all do however, I am allergic to latex. Not just touching it, I mean, I can't even be in a room where latex gloves are being used. It really is the bane of my existence to a certain degree. Especially going to the Dentist. It is a horror show for me. Take that headache you get from having someone work on your mouth for an hour and multiply that about 10, add some nausea, and shortness of breath and then you know how i feel. Even typing about it makes me shudder. Anyways, back to public policy. You see, it turns out that latex allergy is DEVELOPED. Yes! that means it usually comes from overexposure to latex, namely in the use of gloves. So here we are, trying to prevent viral infections, but creating a population that is allergic to the precautions we are using. Seems kind of silly if you ask me, considering there are other products out there that do the same job and don't cause the same problems that latex does.
I have decided to write my Cabinet Submission on banning the use of latex gloves in hospitals, dental and medical clinics.
I have probably bored you all to death with this post. But hey, it's interesting to me.
Update on Goals:
Well, I am going to Mexico, so there's one.
I have taken steps towards the hammock goal, and strung up my oh so comfortable cotton hammock (although it does have to come down afterwards...being that it rots in the rain!)
I have started a job, so the funding of various activities will occur.

Rant Post

I am seriously sorry to do this. But I must rant. It has to happen. Today has been by far the most frusturating day in months. I actually cried. that's how frusturated I was. I feel recovered now. Mostly because of the Awesome Story of Pomello Pete (See Heather's Blog).
Okay. So, First of all, to make all my summer goals become reality, I faced the fact that I need to get a summertime job. Since I have a week off before summer classes start, I figured, it's time to get going on this. This morning, I got up early enough to get a good start, took a nice shower, noticed that the new ring I had put in my nose was irritating the crap out of my piercing, and then went to print off some resumes. Well, turns out that my crappy printer has run out of ink again (just to put this into context, I just bought a new ink cartridge not two weeks ago). So, I got over that, told myself okay, time to make a trip to London Drugs. So, I get all dressed up for resume handing-out (figuring i would just go get the cartridge and then return).
Here's the first clue for Sylvia to Abort Mission Hand-out Resumes. I missed my bus. By one minute. So i wait for the next one, get on it and head downtown.
I get to London Drugs, pick up the ink cartridge and realize that I do not have enough money in my account to pay for it. Out comes the credit card.
Then, I went to the piercing place, because my nose was seriously bloated, and got the ring changed for a stud. Had to pay for that. Yes for the Mastercard.
So, after all this, its about 1:30. I figured, I will get on the bus, print off some resumes and drop them off around the new neighbourhood. I got on the bus, swiped my bus pass and then promptly get told by the bus driver, that it is expired. I tried to reason with him, telling him things like, Well, sir, it did just expire yesterday, and No, sir, I do not have the two dollars required for the bus ride. and, Please sir, let me ride the bus this one time. I promise I will get it updated.
Needless to say, He kicked me off.
So, I started to walk home, after all its not such a bad day out, right? oh no, it started raining about halfway home. So i finally get home after a nice long (half wet) walk and go to put my ink cartridge in, figuring well, I can still hit a few places. I press print on my resume and this error message comes up:
"The printer cartridge installed is not compatible with the printer"
Thats about when i started crying. I really hope London Drugs will take it back. I can't afford another 30 dollars for an ink cartridge that is going to run out in two weeks.
That's my story. Tomorrow should be better. After all it is my birthday.