A Series of Sunsets

I've been fortunate enough to spend the last two months living in Vancouver. The city inspires me in a way that others don't. Its natural beauty makes my heart race. I've been even more fortunate to spend time at my parents' home in West Vancouver, which just happens to have a stunning view of the University of B.C., Vancouver Island and Burrard Inlet.

As a sucker for sunsets, I can't help snapping a photo each time the sun starts to dip below the horizon.

I'm around

I'm around here somewhere, I promise. There's been a lot of change and upheaval in my life recently, and I think I owe the Internet a blog post. In the meantime, check out this photo of some lovely buildings along Dundas St. West, taken on a sunny morning in September.

Using Storify to Enhance Content

Storify, a social media application, can be used to build stories using multiple content sources from the web. It's not all that different from the way journalists tell stories anyway (using text, photos, tweets and video) but Storify nonetheless provides an easy-to-use platform to ease the process of combining all these elements together to create a multimedia package.

As well, Storify can be used by any social media savvy user, not just a journalist or editor. Here's a sample story I threw together today after reading about sexual assault against women in the U.S. military.

I didn't write any aspect of this story, but even if I had, I could use Storify to enhance my text with video, tweets, photos or other stories.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Hawaii, via the 8mm Vintage Camera iPhone app. Swoon. Music by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole.

A Small Glimpse

I spent a few hours with a family in Richmond Hill last month. They'd just lost their three-year-old son Zack, who was born missing his 12th chromosome. I interviewed them about their fundraising campaign for a hospital room dedicated to their little boy. It always amazes me how willing people are to welcome reporters into their homes, and to offer us a small glimpse into their lives.

Here's the story I wrote:

Remembering Zack: Hospital ‘dream room’ to honour Richmond Hill boy

Heather Hamilton’s days used to revolve around her youngest son Zack, a little boy with enviably long eyelashes and cheeks that puffed out when he grinned.

Born moments after his healthy twin brother, Zack entered the world with his hands clenched in fists so tight they were black.

Hamilton immediately knew something was wrong.

“His colour didn’t look right,” she says at her home in Richmond Hill. “His body looked different.”

Zack also had a congenital heart defect. The same day he was born, he had to be resuscitated — twice.

At two weeks old, Zack survived open-heart surgery, but his health problems continued, including seizures, hearing loss, fluid on the brain and developmental delays.

Geneticists eventually discovered Zack was born missing his 12th chromosome. They said it was the first recorded case in the world.

Zack died on March 10. He was 3.

Read the rest of the story here.