Running in the Olympic Torch Relay
Bryan Copeland (of Moncton, NB) receives the torch from CTV reporter Liz Rigney (of Halifax, NS)
Today something strange happened…
The full list of runners for the Moncton-to-Saint John leg of the maritime Olympic Torch Relay was listed and – for better or worse – my name was on it. Turns out I was chosen to run in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay by RBC’s Carry the Torch competition.
It’s not like it was for anything particularly miraculous, simply one of those contests I’ve often heard about, occasionally bothered to enter, and never won. In the online application form (which I was urged to go home and fill out by the business account manager who I had seen earlier that day at an RBC branch), I was asked what I had done for my country in the past, and what my plans were for the coming year.
I can’t remember exactly what I put, but the BS factory must have been firing on all cylinders… something about previous charitable organizations I’ve contributed to, or, organized events for, along with a penchant for supporting open source software development and open web projects in general must have struck a chord with someone (that, or a more likely explanation, that I won a draw/lottery of some kind).
Image via Wikipedia
In addition, I do remember saying that in 2009-2010 I’d do everything I could to ensure more University students get placements in the Federal government project I’m currently working on. Well, at least two did; mostly because of the requirements and immense scope-creep (like hitting a moving target) coupled with pleas from the only two full-time developers, but only one stayed on full-time. It’s better than nothing I suppose…
In any event, I’ll be running up the entrance into Fundy Park in the Alma/Hillsborough area. While it’s not a long run (5km), I’d better go for a few runs to get in shape first nonetheless.
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BC$ = Behavior, Content, Money
The goal of the BC$ project is to raise awareness and make changes with respect to the three pillars of information freedom - Behavior (pursuit of interests and passions), Content (sharing/exchanging ideas in various formats), Money (fairness and accessibility) - bringing to light the fact that:
1. We regularly hand over our browser histories, search histories and daily online activities to companies that want our money, or, to benefit from our use of their services with lucrative ad deals or sales of personal information.
2. We create and/or consume interesting content on their services, but we aren't adequately rewarded for our creative efforts or loyalty.
3. We pay money to be connected online (and possibly also over mobile), yet we lose both time and money by allowing companies to market to us with unsolicited advertisements, irrelevant product offers and unfairly structured service pricing plans.