Graduation

OK, so I graduate one week Thursday and … I am so EXCITED! This is a huge step for me and I cannot wait to start my post secondary education. When have you ever been so thrilled about something as big as graduating? And not just high school; graduating university, college, public school, apprenticeships …

Some people don’t see something like this as important, but it IS a big deal! Be happy that you’ve accomplished something in your life; I know I’ll be once I walk across that stage with the rest of my friends and classmates.

It shows that we have to enjoy the things that life throws our way and accept facts. You’re getting older and there are so many opportunities out there that are just waiting. I hope to accomplish everything I want to do on my long list, don’t you?

Social Networking

Facebook. MySpace. Twitter…

Is it just me, or do our entire lives revolve around social networking sites? If we want to communicate, aside from texting, we’ll use Facebook or Twitter. “Hey what’s up? Did you hear about ..."

This is apparently what matters the most to us: following every single thing that the celebs are up to every minute of the day and having to tell everybody else, who apparently hasn’t heard yet.

Or,

You get home from school, you make yourself something to eat and then... Oh it’s Facebook time!

Is this what our lives are all about? Spending endless hours on social networking sites uploading pictures, playing mindless games and tweeting? Don’t you get tired of updating your Facebook status every ten minutes? Is this the only thing that we can rely on to entertain us and keep us away from what actually goes on in the outside world, apart from who is wearing what?

Now don’t get me wrong, I like Facebook. But come on, there has to be a limit for goodness sakes. Sure, update your status or Tweet about something when it is actually worth the time, but don’t make it a habit. You don’t want to be known as “that person with the annoying statuses."

Optical Illusions

Whoa, trippy eh? I saw these illusions and I felt like my mind was being messed with. But by applying logic from what your eyes take in and when it finally gets to the brain, they are not so confusing after all. You just have to know where or what to look for, why the illusion does it, or see if it was simply made a certain way just to be confusing.

They are so cool, and I praise whoever created some of them out there. It is pure art!

Here are some more optical illusions to think about...

"The Hidden Tiger"

Can you see the tiger that is hidden in the picture, aside from the regular tiger?

Cool!

What do you see in this picture?

Many people will see that it is of an intimate couple. This is usually from prior knowledge or exposure to this theme. However, if you ask a child, they will tell you they see 9 black dolphins in the picture.

Can you see them?

Toddlers and Makeovers?

So, the other day I was reading a news article on toddlers and the effects that perfectionism from parents has on them. The article talked about mothers who dress up their young children for the purpose of beauty. This includes tanning, shaving their legs, putting make up on them and dressing them in inappropriate clothing.

Is it necessary for a child at the age of 4 to 7 years old to wear make up? It is sad to see that beauty is being implied as looking, well, superficial, when really it is how a person should feel on the inside.

Parents should not exploit their children at such a young age in the way of making them look and feel older then they really are. When is it right to take away their innocence and introduce them into the advertised world where “being pretty gets you noticed”.

has anyone seen the show Toddlers and Tiaras? I could only watch 10 minutes of it before I had to shut it off; it was just too much for me to see these young girls parading on a stage, where they are judged on beauty and talent when they are only 6 years old!

The effects on these kids are even more devastating. Do parents realize what it will be like for them in the future when they’re older if they continue to encourage superficial beauty? They may grow up believing that beauty is solely on the outside and have no tolerance for those who “do not apply” to the principle.

The article was a good way to make the issue known that parents should not create their children into something that defies moral standards. It starts with children, so leave them to explore the world when they are ready.  

Saturday Morning Cartoons

It’s Saturday morning and you just can’t wait to get up, because you don’t want to miss them. You start running down the stairs, up the stairs, or wherever, and get the remote and sit right in front of the TV. Your brain is already awake, though your body may not be, anticipating the arrival of those Saturday morning cartoons!

Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, SpongeBob, Fairly Odd Parents …

and the list just goes on.

OK, so I know I don’t watch these shows anymore, but didn’t you just love the weekends when you were really little, and you sat there for hours watching cartoons until your mom called you down for breakfast? Yes I remember those times! Saturday was always my favourite day of the week and I just couldn’t wait till it came, after a long week of colouring, simplified math and recess in the earlier years of public school.

And weren’t they funny? I mean, the usual characters running around and making you laugh in absolutely every episode? Despite the fact that many of the episodes had the same concept, it just never got old.  You knew what would happen in the Road Runner; that the coyote would get trampled, run over, or crushed. Or that Timmy from Fairly Odd Parents would get himself into trouble and would learn a lesson from his Godparents.

Children’s shows are what make childhood. You create heroes, like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, and role models like Wolverine from X-Men Evolution.

 

It is really sad though that some of the cartoons I used to watch aren't on anymore. X-men Evolution was seriously one of my favourites! (even though I'd be too old for it). But it really doesn’t matter what age you are and sometimes, those cartoons are just as entertaining to you as they were when you were a kid. Reliving our childhood is good! Make the most of it.   



Reality, False Reality, and Music

 

As a person who lives with a sister that frequently watches reality TV shows, I can truthfully say that I have seen several shows myself. Of the many lame excuses of a show that reality TV networks come up with, such as scripted clips of excessively tanned wannabe teenagers who are actually 30 years old, there is one show that I truly enjoy watching; and that is American Idol. Yes, that’s right. I have to also mention that this show actually has talent and people with real dreams that inspire.

American Idol. Even though the season is over, sadly, there are certain performances that I will never forget. Jessica Sanchez was in fact my favourite contestant for season 11 and when you hear her beautiful voice, you have to stop and think about those other artists out there with no true talent.

Jump in my hooptie hooptie hoop
I own that
And I ain’t paying my rent this month
I owe that
But f** who you want, and f** who you like
That's our life, there’s no end in sight
Twinkle, twinkle little star

Now everybody let me hear you say ray ray ray
Now spend all your money cause today's pay day
And if you’re a G, you a G, G, G
My name is Onika, you can call me Nicki

This is exactly what I am talking about. This is just a portion of the ridiculous crap that the music industry puts out there. These lyrics are from Nicki Minaj’s Starships. Can someone please just tell me the how people can listen to artists who have to use fake, British accents and stutter meaningless words that clearly make no sense? How do we, as teenagers, fall into this repetitive work of what they call art? You can't possibly compare American Idol contestants to this type of 'singing'?

Even though some may think that ALL reality TV shows are incredibly fake and usually irritating, American Idol is surely not one of them. Just listen and see for yourself that these people on the show can bring real contribution to the music world, not people “discovered” by other artists who only use auto tune to make their music, um, “better”.

Oh, and stop watching those shows where bachelors toy with the emotions of the contestants; I’m going to have to tell the same to my sister back home.

Please just watch this instead!!



Fast Food

Mmmmm… getting ready to take a big bite into that

Delicious,

most amazing,

                              greasy,

                                       bacon,

cheddar-filled,

                                                                          burger.

It’s just a comfort food. A craving. It's pretty cheap. It always taunts me ...

Hold it right there!

Why do we do this to ourselves? Lie I mean. We all know that this kind of fast food is bad for us, but we still have to convince ourselves when we go out that it’s OK to maybe have it once in a while. So here’s the thing: Instead of having a burger or fries, try a homemade salad, have the better choice on the menu. Look past those Harvey’s, McDonalds and Burger king advertisements on the TV and the billboards and think to yourself: “Will this benefit my health in the long run?”

But when we do eventually give in, why is it that we have to defend ourselves when we go out to eat at a fast food restaurant? “Oh, I’m just having another craving.” Is it maybe because we feel guilty? Worried someone will judge us?

I don’t know about you but like everything else, we must know our limit! Do you want to end up having heart failure at age 30? Or suffer depression because you rely so much on this bad food?

No, dammit we don't!

It doesn’t matter how much we want that cheap, unhealthy food to be good for us, and for vegetables like broccoli to actually taste yummy, but this is just not going to happen.

You don’t have to feel guilty as long as you truly have it once in a while. So, what’s your favourite fast food meal anyway?

Where The Wild Things Are

Throughout my childhood, there were many books that my mother and father read to me that I loved so much: “The Proverbial Mouse”, “The Giving Tree”, “Arthur”, “Telephone Ted”… and then there were also books that I read myself (well, more liked look at the pictures while the teacher read them to me), from the bookshelves in the Kindergarten classroom. “Where The Wild Things are”; I smile every time I see this book, even when walking past book stores and old libraries today.

It is a book where imagination can come alive. It lets a child’s mind wander freely and lets them live in a world where ‘Wild Things’ roam.

I still love this book, even though I'm grown up! I mean come on; everyone had to have at least one or two childhood books that they just couldn’t put down. A Dr. Seuss book maybe?or a Robert Munch story?

Don’t you remember when your siblings and your friends wanted to read your books and you just refused to let go? Well that was me all the time, not just with “Where the Wild Things Are”, but also a book called “Kisses”.

Go back and find that childhood book and cherish it. Who knows, it might surprise you like it did the first time you sat down during story time and read it. 

The Dumb Blonde

A dumb blonde was really tired of being made fun of, so she decided she would look like a brunette.

When she had brown hair, she decided to take a drive in the country.
After she had been driving for a while, she saw a farmer and a flock of sheep and thought,

“Oh! Those sheep are so adorable!”
She got out and walked over to the farmer and said,
“If I can guess how many sheep you have, can I take one home?”

The farmer, being a bit of a gambler himself, said she could have a try.
The blonde looked at the flock and guessed, “157.”

The farmer was amazed – she was right! So the blonde, (who looked like a brunette), picked one out and got back into her car.

Before she left, farmer walked up to her and said.
“If I can guess the real color of your hair, can I have my dog back?”

Ok, Ok. This one is definitely one of the better ones I have heard. But I have to say that some jokes can be really harsh. Even though I'm not a blonde myself, what’s to say that when I hear people making fun of blondes, I don’t feel bad?

Dumb blondes are a stereotype. Just because someone is blonde, does not necessarily mean they're dumb or superficial. Ah yes! Jokes are for entertainment, but lets get serious people. How many individuals can actually relate to an extreme "dumb blonde senario?"

"Oh no, I locked my keys in the car and the top is still up!"

               "I thought that a toaster was actually an oven! "
                               "Maybe if I dye my hair black, I'll actually be smarter!"                    

What I want to hear, is a good joke about a brunette that I can actually relate to.

Cats in Birthday Hats

Why do people put their pets in birthday hats? This is a question that I have asked for years. As a cat lover, I'll give my cat an extra treat once in a while, or another petting session. But when it comes to birthdays, I'm pretty sure they don't even know what's happening to them. One minute they're taking their fifth nap of the day and the next thing they know, they have a birthday hat on top of their heads and are at the dinner table with a cake in front of them; people are laughing and taking a million pictures, while the cat is probably scared to death inside.

I would really like to know why this happens? Is it an obsession? Humor? Believing that the cat will actually thank you?

Please give me a straight answer becasue I just want to know.

Angry Charles




Confused Betty



Curious Chester



Nightmares

Tossing and turning.

             Tossing and turning.

Tossing and turning.

Tossing and turning.

You suddenly wake up feeling paralyzed with fear, breathing heavily and crying. And then you sigh, realizing that “it was just a dream.” Nightmares are a scary thing that can occur frequently and yes it rather sucks. I’ve had my fair share of nightmares and some of them I hope I will never, ever, have again. So why do we have them? Some may think it is a way for spirits to connect to us while we're sleeping, or that it's some form of karma trying to make our lives a living hell.

But think of this. What is really bothering you? I mean really bothering you? When you have a nightmare, try to retrace the series of events that happened and put it into perspective. You can find clues that may lead you to trapped feelings, forgotten memories, or a dark secret.

Your mind is the gateway to your true self. Maybe your nightmares are trying to tell you something. This is the opportunity to face a possible irrational fear, or a perception on someone that has been hidden by your subconscious. If you cannot face your fears or a problem that occurs in your nightmares, then how are you going to be able to do it out in the real world? Use it as a tool and don't let it take over your life.

So look inside and solve the problem, make a change and listen because if you don’t, it will  only continue to haunt you.

Poetry

Poetry can be seen as a work of art;

a gateway to inspiration or meaning, for a start.

Poetry can be humorous, serious or in between.

It can make you say “what does that that mean?”

The verses can rhyme, sing, or mimic any expression.

It can describe violence and fear, as well as depression.

Poetry shows feelings, to make people deem

that some things in this world are not as they seem.

Poetry is there to laugh at, to giggle, to feel and cry

where the writer’s words of passion will never die.

The words can come alive, or are there to confuse,

but in the end it's something everyone can use

Poetry is poetry, even if you ramble;

just take a look at mine for example.

But no matter what, writing can be useful

just dream and create, use it as a tool

… and if you weren’t a fan of my own poetry describing, well, poetry, maybe you’ll enjoy this one instead…

“A Crime Scene”

By: Albert Van Hoogmoed

There's been a murder, a woman was killed,
found in a bathtub, partially filled.

A pair of policemen went into the house
and questioned the poor woman's spouse.

He’d just come home from working all night
and found her like that, a terrible sight.

The younger policeman looked on with dismay.
He'd never forget that terrible day.

He saw the young woman from behind the door
and empty milk cartons all over the floor,

Scattered strawberries, slices of fruit,
and spoonfuls of sugar and honey to boot.

''Who could have done this terrible thing?''
His voice had a horrified, pitiful ring.

'”Just look at the clues,'' replied Sargeant Miller.
'”It looks like the work of a cereal killer.'

Why are Nursery Rhymes so Scary?

"Making toast by the fireside,
Nurse fell in the grate and died.
What makes the matter ten times worse,
The toast was burnt along with the nurse."

       

By reading some of the old nursery rhymes today, you would think that they were designed to give children nightmares. Why are they so creepy to read? When I was a little girl, there were several nursery rhymes that my parents had told me before I went to sleep at night, but I never found any of them particularly frightening. I guess if you think about it, some of them could end up worrying a child. Little Miss Muffet was scared by a spider, Humpty Dumpty fell off a wall and broke into pieces, and Jill got whipped for laughing at Jack when he hit his head.

Maybe they want to teach children a lesson; to not laugh at others, or to climb on walls. These rhymes however, are subtle compared to some of the other ones I have read myself.

For example, I’m sure glad that I was never told this rhyme as a child…

Mamma had scarcely turn'd her back,
The thumb was in, alack! alack!
The door flew open, in he ran,
The great, long, red-legged scissorman.
Oh! children, see! the tailor's come
And caught our little Suck-a-Thumb.

Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissors go;
And Conrad cries out - Oh! Oh! Oh!
Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast;
That both his thumbs are off at last.
Mamma comes home; there Conrad stands,
And looks quite sad, and shows his hands;-
"Ah!" said Mamma "I knew he'd come
To naughty little Suck-a-Thumb."

…and this one…

Father heard his Children scream,
So he threw them in the stream,
Saying, as he drowned the third,

"Children should be seen, not heard!"

Paparazzi

Imagine you are someone like Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, or even that guy from the Black Eyed Peas whose name you can’t remember (because Fergie and Will.i.am. always seem take the spotlight). You're going out for a jog and you hear something that sounds familiar, but you can’t quite place what it is exactly. You look around and nothing's there. You continue to jog and suddenly you are surrounded by a group, no, mob of people with flashing cameras taking pictures of you in your jogging outfit…

The element of surprise strikes your features; and it also makes a great shot for a tabloid. Yes, it’s paparazzi. Now, some of you may feel that you would do anything to be famous and get your picture taken for the world to see. But even though this fantasy is a little farfetched, would you really want people following you around everywhere? I would say no, but you may say otherwise. Before you try to make your desires come to life, just take a look at these photos…

Justin Bieber

 Russell Brand

Shakira

 Lindsay Lohan

Jennifer Garner

Funny right?