Is This REALLY a Law?

Laws, they protect us and the people around us and help our society run smoothly.

So obviously they are important to respect and they make sense if we are still using them...
...right?

Not Really.  If you look up some of the laws we have within Canada... you'd wonder if perhaps the Government was a tad...drunk when they wrote them.

A couple interesting ones where I can tell aren't even followed are:

" Comic books which depict any illegal acts are banned"

In a city in Quebec it is "Illegal for a teen to walk down mainstreet with their shoe untied"

These aren't really follows. Of course there a some banned comic books but...I have seen MANY comic books showing illegal acts that are availible in stores.   Shoes untied? REALLY?   I can highly doubt that's really followed.  That's a little outrageous.

A few that I think are a tad outdated are:

In Alberta " If you are released from prison, it is required that you are givena handgun with bullets and a horse so you can ride out of town."     and " Businesses must provide rails to tie up horses" .

In Toronto "you may not drag a dead horse down Younge St. on Sunday".

I'm pretty sure horses aren't used often as a mode of transportation and I pretty sure they arent going to give a just-released convict a GUN and WHO is going to be dragging a horse down Younge Street? It is to busy now with cars to even walk across Younge Street.  

Some other just interesting ones were:

"Citizens may not publicly remove bandages"
"The colour of house and garage door is regulated by city bylaws ( a purple door gets you a fine)"
In B.C its " illegal to kill a Sasquatch".


Some of these laws are extremly outdated and some are just outrageous because some of them are as "illegal as J-walking" since I've never seen or heard of them being regualted or anyone being arrested or fined for breaking one. Perhaps the governments makes these laws just for kicks to have some fun or maybe they were being serious but it makes me wonder what type of people run our country and whether oe not they pay attention to the laws that were passed years ago.  

Fashion: It's a Culture

I would consider myself quite the avid reader, as I enjoy reading works from a wide range of genres. From Harry Potter to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I would say that I'm pretty well-read. But I also enjoy reading fashion magazines. Yes, reading fashion magazines. My friend got me a Teen Vogue subscription for my birthday and ever since then I look forward to picking up the mail.

The magazine is not comprised strictly of clothes, shoes, and accessories, as most would assume, but more of fashion as a whole. Fashion as a culture. Teen Vogue also includes new indie music and articles about designers/journalists/artists/models that talk about their life ambitions and dreams. Fashion isn't just a bunch of random clothes put on a model; it's an art form that artists(designers) use to express themselves and show the world.

And it's not just the content of the magazine that is intriguing, it's also the actual layout and design of the magazine. The bright and bold colours invite you in along with headlines screaming out at you in block letters or pretty cursive. The magazine delights all of your senses; you see the glossy bright photographs, you smell the Givenchy perfume escaping from the middle of the magazine, you touch the smooth feel of the pages, you hear that satisfying flipping sound from turning the pages, and you can practically taste that ice cream sundae that's in the background of the photo shoot.

I love how the magazine often features models of different backgrounds wearing clothing reflecting another culture. In a recent issue there was a model wearing a dress influenced by the people of Africa and another issue had Selena Gomez wearing a kimono which is obviously inspired by the Japanese. I also like the way the teen models are portrayed in Teen Vogue. It breaks the stereotype of snobby anorexic models who worry about their hair and makeup 24/7. Instead the models shown in the magazine have dreams (not necessarily relating to fashion) and have normal hobbies like horseback riding, singing, dancing, ice skating, and listening to music. I would encourage more teen girls to give this magazine a go; it's not "girly trash" as most would think. I'm not a sparkly pink loving girly girl, and neither am I tomboy, but I love Teen Vogue.

Just a Sexual Object

It's been in the media for a long while. It started off that they wanted to but now it seems a requirment.


The Sexualization of Women.


It's a little understandable. Sex sells. We all get it.


BUT, then there is taking it TO far.  There are now music videos and songs out there that are completly unessassary! Talking about women as if they are only sexual objects that are to be controlled and want sex even tough they say no. Just get them drunk and they will put out.  It's DEGRADING.


I would consider myself proud to be female but when I hear songs like these I feel embarrased!  Do people honstly beleive this is how it works? No. There are women who have morals.


The male singers who usually write these songs are disgusting.  Do they have no RESPECT for women?
Sure there are songs done by women that are pretty bad as well but the majority of big songs that deal with this are sung by males.


Example:  Sex by Chris Brown.


Probably one of the most pornographic songs I've heard. The entire song is about the process of him 'gettin down' down with a girl and making her scream his name.  Thanks, good to know you think your good in bed.

'Girl you're really in for a treat now, but don't fall in love cuz,
We just havin' sex,
I'm gonna get you wet,
We not makin' love tonight.
Hickies all over your neck,
Kissin' all over your body, babe,
Girl you gon' get it tonight.'
Basically he is telling the girl to not fall for him because he isn't going to be there in the morning.  This isn't makin' love becuase we have feelings, it's sex, a one night stand becuase I think your smokin'.

At this part, it's not overly bad. There are many songs about one night stands out there.

'Girl you can thank me in the morning.
When you wake up feeling hella good.
Feeling like you want me.
I didn't realize how much I made you scream, yeah. '

This is taking it a little far. Very concieted.  Making it seem like she was the only one that wanted it and he just went along with it because she was 'all up on him' making the girl seem like a needy, sexual women who wants to use him for sex.

'It's gon' be the best,
Best you ever had,
I can promise that, baby,
I lay you on your back,
Then between your legs,
I can make 'em spread, baby. '

Taking his ego to far now. He only ever talks about how good he can get a women to feel and how he can make you want it so bad but you never hear him mention how he is feeling. Why'd he go to have sex in the first place?  Just for fun?

The rest of the song is him describing what he is going to do to her and how much she wants it...

Another song that is degrading to women is Blame it on the Alchol by Jamie Foxx ft. T-Pain.
The ENTIRE song is about how a he hits on a girl, she says she doesn't want it so he waits till she gets drunk enough and then he goes and has sex with her while she doesn't really know what she is doing.

A little degrading?  She said she DIDN'T want it.  So I'm just going to get her a little drunk and she'll be all up on me. WOW.  That's sad.



As a women I am insulted by a lot of these songs and I know many other women are as well.
Then these situations are reflected into everyday life when women are approached as sexual objects.

 "You know you want it".

The sad thing is, it's getting WORSE.

What's going to happen then?

PS3 DOWN

One word… PlayStation Network is down wtf. I had not even been playing my ps3 for weeks before it went down. But it was when it was down was when I wanted to play it the most. I was pretty angry with the network being down, you could not sign in or more importantly you could not play online. But my anger towards the Psn (PlayStation Network) was nothing compared to some of the other ps3 gamers out there. Fun watching kids rage on youtube. Back to the playstation network, so it has been down for a while now and they have not said anything about what has happened, there is also a possibility that all of "the ps3 gamers" information is at risk, fun. Although the playstation network is talking about giving out free games as a way of apologizing, Probably the crapiest games ever, more fun. All in all psn has screwed us over.

What Happened to the Dress Code?

When I remember first coming into Cawthra at the young age of 14, fresh out of middle school one moment at the orientation still sticks to to me. The Dress Code talk.  Now I've had these before...but never in such detail with mannequins and all.  But I understood. I agreed.

The 4 B's.  NO Butts. NO Bras. NO Boobs. NO bellies.

Pretty straightforward...right?

In grade 9 I would say I didn't notice much.  A couple bra straps the occasional short shorts that were a little TO short but overall not much problem.

It hit me this year...BAM.

WOW.

What's with all this revealing clothing?  That COMPLETELY goes against the basis dress code.

Crop tops? Your belly is completely exposed! Sure some of you got the tummy to show...but when its almost up to your bra line...Don't you feel a little revealed?

Lace tops.   sure they are nice and low cut tops and strapless tops are nice as well...but when you can a) completely see your bra through it(especially when its neon or patterned...) and b)when your boobs look like they are read to pop out of their hold...it's a little far.

A little Bra strap never hurt to show...but entire bras or complete bra straps with a strapless top? That doesn't even MATCH in colour?

Short shorts will never disappear...but your underwear and butt cheeks are not needed to be seen.  High waisted short shorts aren't long enough either. Just because there is extra fabric at the top...doesn't make them longer over your backside.

WHERE DID THE DRESS CODE GO?

WHERE are the teachers who are supposed to enforce the Code?
It's not like they haven't seen all the people walking around school in this attire...it's everywhere.

Maybe we all have just began to accept this as acceptable for teenagers?

I'm just hoping this is a fad that will quickly fade...and not get more revealing.

My true question still stands though. Where did the enforcement of the Dress Code go?

Nine Months From Now Will it Still Be Funny?

Do you think it is cool to be pregnant?

Many shows and movies right now give off the impression that it is all for laughs and jokes and the occasional challenge when you are pregnant. A few of these movies and shows are 16 and pregnant, teen mom and knocked up. 16 and Pregnant is a show about teens who are pregnant and how they handle life before the baby is born, teen mom is an extension showing the lives of a few of the teen mothers.

Originally, it was argued that teen mom and 16 and pregnant were shows that helped to spread awareness to teens around the world about the risks surrounding teen pregnancy. These shows were used as advocates for abstinence in the past although, things have recently changed.

These shows have turned into scandals all over the media, on

magazines, online and on television. Every time you leave the grocery store you see Amber or Macy's names all over the covers of magazines. If you think about it though, do you actually know Macy or Amber's last name, do you see how the father's of their children live their lives every day?

Yes, you get to see the problems and drama between the stars of the show but, does everyone realize that these problems can be avoided, some teens may feel differently. These shows and movies can be dangerous for teens because they may have a different interpretation. They may read pregnancy as the source of all problems and never wish to have children, or some may believe that becoming pregnant may help their chances of becoming famous. It may just seem like another popularity contest, who they've slept with, who the father of their child is and if MTV will be calling them to ask to film their drama filled lives. Is that what really happens though, that you magically get a call and get on television, think back to how many people are on these shows, maybe 4 or 5 sets of parents, and how many of them do you see struggling to keep their relationship a happy or civil one, or how often do you see them fight.

So what is so funny about a couple who end up having a child because of a drunken night at a club, or an abusive girlfriend, or constantly being reminded of the child you gave away. Is it a confidence bust that your life is not actually that bad because you could not go to that concert, or is it a refresher for why you take precautions when it comes to the opposite sex. What ever your reasoning is, remember there is always more than one side to things and that even if you laugh now, if the situations were reversed it would not be as funny.

Teenage abortion rates, by age of women at end of pregnancy, women aged 15 to 19, Canada, 1974 to 1997

Data sources: References 5,6,7; Health Statistics Division; Canadian Vital Statistics Data Base; Canadian Institute for Health Information

How big is Your Carbon Footprint?

Our carbon footprint is the measure of the impact our activities have on the environment. It is based on the amount of green house gases produced in our day-to-day life, through burning fuel for electricity, heating and transportation.

In Canada we produce a total of 747 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. In my opinion I think Canadians have a high carbon footprint. So an average Canadian produces approximately 24 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year.

Media advertisements have a great impact on our carbon footprint. All around we see ads which influence us to buy something. The emission from the factories and industries are let into our atmosphere during the process of manufacturing the product we buy. So the products that we buy like cars, video games, etc increase our carbon footprint.

So why is it important? It gives you an idea of the kind of impact you are having on the Earth just living day to day. With this knowledge you can start taking steps to reduce your footprint. We don’t want our Earth to turn into a giant, hot ball do we?!

Don’t want to control your Carbon footprint? Imagine after 50 years:

- Demand for food will increase by 60%

- Demand for water will increase by 40 %

- Demand for energy will increase by 60%

Think about filling your stomach, and drinking clean water! We will all be fighting for these supplies. This is what could be happening in our lifetime! Do you want this to happen? If not then measure your carbon footprint and reduce the amount of Carbon dioxide used in your life.

Measure Your Carbon Footprint and change the world:

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Blackberry vs iPhone

Blackberry has been the smart phone of choice in the enterprise for some time. With reasons that attract many people and satisfy people's wants. Such as, mastering most of the business app, bbm (blackberry messenger), e-mail, and controls with all the controls that IT requires. Blackberry is also made from our home country CANADA! Every year, there is new models that comes out for different types of Blackberries. There is seven types of Blackberry out to date.

BUT enter the iPhone.

It has video call, multitasking device, HD video, face time,many free apps, 5 mega pixels, front camera, HDR photography, and built in LED flash. This not only won the heart of new trend ,but won the heart of media related field.

So my question is, what ultimately wins in the enterprise?

About 36 million Blackberry devices is used globally, half of which enterprise is connected, Blackberry has about 17million to 18million device lead on the iPhone in the enterprise. Hundreds of organizations around the world have 5,000 or more Blackberry devices, and a bit over 50,000! So that means that Blackberry has set the basic standard for reliable and secure mobility.

So with that in mind, customers still want choice, and that means the enterprise mobility door is open for other people to choose. IPhone has a faster CPU than Blackberry and more memory capacity. In everyday use, though, iPhone's slightly larger capacity makes no noticeable difference. Both machines instantaneously respond to users' commands. Competitions between batteries also ends up in fist fights! Both machines will run on battery alone for approximately three hours in constant use, and will keep going between ten and twelve hours just idling. When iPhone first hit the marker, Blackberry devotees argued iPhone could not stand-up to the dangers and demands of rigorous everyday use. Blackberries admittedly take a beating, because their developers has corporate road warriors in mind as they designed the machines.

And now I guess it's your turn now, to pick which side you want to take.
Blackberry vs iPhone

There's an alien coming, he's a really swell guy.

I hope he brings an army, and I hope we don't die. (courtesy of the Whitest kids you know)

HEY KIDS! DO YOU LIKE THE RAPTURE?!

Yes, saturday may 21st marked the latest rapture prediction that proved inaccurate. Our dearest nutball Harold Camping, pictured above, the prophet of this calamity, stated that on Saturday, enourmous earthquakes would open the graves of the pure, letting them ascend to God's righteous party-boat, leaving the rest of the planet to die in a series of plagues, earthquakes, tornadoes, G20 summits, and other calamities until October 21st, when god straps the world to a bottle rocket to impress his 2051 year old son. Evidently, this hasn't happened, and it isn't the first time Camping made a mistake. In the 90s he published a book titled "1994?" detailing how this situation would have happened 17 years ago, then afterwards said that his prediction was victim to a mathematical error (Math that was somewhere present in the bible). May 21st marked the 7000th anniversary of the flood of noah's ark, and for such a date, this rain is pathetic. Since the failed prediction, Camping's followers are in an uproar, many of them having quit their jobs, sold their possessions and donated their life savings to Camping's radio broadcast, telling the entire world about impending doom. Camping has reportedly gone into hiding, and his worldwide ministry radio broadcast has gone off the air until further notice. Only goes to show you kids, if you want to be a successful religious leader, hide from your mistakes.

Teen Targets

Teens have been used as targets for many different produces from make-up to clothes, face wash to school supplies... Trying to bribe us with promises of love, happiness, confidence, beauty and popularity. Using these techniques to lure in teen buyers is bad enough, but when manufacturers deliberately use them on a product that has proven to cause harm or death, potentially shorten or take away the live of innocent teenagers, that’s criminal! Introducing the cigarette manufacturers.

Cigarette manufactures have been researching the fads and trends of today’s teens and using this information against us. Selling a product that could potentially shorten innocent lives; now thats just outrageous! They are using many different techniques to lure teenagers into buying their products that have a slim, glamourous and intriguing packing. They do whatever they can to appeal to the teenaged market.

Some cigarette companies add menthol to their cigarettes which decreases the smell on their clothing and breath, making it easier for teens to smoke without their parents getting suspicious. Unfortunately, adding menthol to tobacco causes the nicotine to get to the brain faster increasing the addictive potential of a cigarette. (The faster nicotine binds to the nicotine receptors in the brain, and releases dopamine, a hormone that makes you feel pleasure and satisfaction, the higher the potential for addiction.) Their manufacturing techniques make it easier for teens to cover their acts of smoking cigarettes.

Not only have they hidden the smell of cigarettes, they have also camouflaged the packaging.

Is it just coincidence that this package looks like and i-pod? Giving teens confidence that they can successfully hide their smoking will increase teen buyers. They have also made cigarette cases in the shape of mascara containers, chocolate bars, a deck of cards and designer Louis Vuitton clutches to help teens conceal their cigarettes from their parents and guardians. Pretty ingenious on their part!

Where as a regular pack of cigarettes contains 20 cigarettes for around $10, cigarette companies have created mini pack of 4 or 5 cigarettes. I suspect the reason for this is two - fold, again to target teens. Firstly, the small packaging is easy for teens to conceal and contains the perfect amount of cigarettes if they are only planning to smoke at a party or on the weekend with their friends. Secondly, the small packages are a low, affordable price of $3.00, which just happens to be the same price of a bag of chips and a can of pop. These people have thought of everything! Luckily, the government has rallied to stop advertising on the radio, television and magazines in Canada. It is also suing the British Tobacco Company for the health care costs due to the harmful effects of smoking.

Not only have they made cigarettes affordable, accessible and easy to hide from their parents, they have also made them more interesting, tasty and enjoyable by adding crazy flavours. Making the cigarettes have yummy and fun flavours like strawberry, bubblegum, chocolate, peanut butter and jelly, tropical passion and mint would make the smoke more pleasing to us teens instead of just the nauseating taste of cigarettes. They say they are not targeting teens, but when we look at how they have added the above elements into their products it makes that statement laughable. Of course they are targeting teenagers, they have thought of absolutely everything to reel us in!

Unfortunately, nicotine is the most addictive substance on the market. More addictive than marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol. Starting to smoke cigarettes before the age of 18 predicts a higher rate of addiction in the future. Since these ads are targeting teens, they will get them started young causing them a lifetime of negative health effects in the future, including cancers, lung disease (COPD), and heart disease.Trying to seduce you into buying a product that will harm you in the end is murder! Doing this to children is infanticide!

Listen Closely

Everyday we're hit with messages to buy things that if they are put simply, they mean "buy this and you will be pretty" or "buy this and you'll be the most masculine man around". One way teens are influenced by media is through music music can have many different effects on a person. It can cause a simple reaction of bobbing your head, it can lead to a major dance party or it can be as simple as listening to the words. For some artists, listening to the words is what they want most for their listeners. Sometimes their message in the song is more than "Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone" or "It's friday friday gotta get down on friday" sometimes it's a message about American politics, cancer reasearch and how the world needs to change.

Even some of the songs that are at the top of the charts right now have positive messages in them, two prime examples are Pink's Prefect and Katy Perry's Firework. Both of these songs are about being who you are and always remembering that you are important to the world. It's also about remember that people care about you and that to them, you are perfect just the way you are.

There is non of this

Or feeling like this

These artist have made an effort to put positive messages out in the media, other artist have chosen different issues to tackle with their music. The Dixie Chicks and Pink have both created music about the way America is being run, challenging at the time George W. Bush about how people are treated. There are so many songs out there about different world issues it is simply amazing to say the least.

If you want to take a look here is a few to start:

Pink-Dear Mr. President

Dixie Chicks- I'm not ready to make nice

Mugshot ft. Rob Dyer- Skate 4 Cancer Song

U2- Sunday Blood Sunday

basically anything by Bob Dylan

Brett Dennen- Ain't no Reason

John Lennon- Working Class Hero

Rascal Flatts- Stand

Ludacris ft. Mary J. Blidge- Rynaway Love

Just to name a few

Enjoy

Top Teams, What do the Playoffs Hold?

So the NBA regular season is coming to an end, and the playoffs are right around the corner. The playoff picture itself is set, and the regular season standings arent about to change drastically with only about 1 game left for every team in the regular 82 game season.

The 2010-11 season has not dissappointed, if anything, it surprised everyone.

Teams made combacks, some fell, trades were made, good and bad, young teams rose, and pride was restored to some of the biggest franchises in NBA history.

Two of the biggest success stories for this year have to be the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls. Both teams have stepped up their game this year, and are the top teams in their conferences and subsequently, the top 2 teams in the NBA.

The Spurs were having the best start of the year this season, holding onto the best record in the entire NBA for virtually the season, and will most likely end it that way. To be fair, the Spurs have been a very consitent playoff team for the past decade, winning 4 championships during that time, but this season everyone saw a change.

Tim Duncan gets less touches, but the teams offense takes a step forward?

The Spurs have been known for their defence in the past, but now have incorporated probably the best offensive play the team has seen in a long time, while keeping the same old intenisty on the other end of the court. It will be nice to see if the trio of Parker, Duncan and Ginobili, can lead their team to another championship, and each of their own 5th championship ring.

Maybe they can also add some exciting plays so that people know who they are.

And now, the Chicago Bulls. I'm not even going to deny it, but I think that the biggest reason for their success this year has to be the improvement in play for 22 year old point guard Derrick Rose. The Bulls have made the playoffs for the past 3 years, since Rose was drafted to the NBA. But the Bulls were always sliding in their, never among the elite teams, let alone the top of the conference.

With Rose establishing a more than decent jumper and 3-point shot, his offense has become more versatile, and not just fantastic drives to the bucket.

Chicago has also been without their top 2 big men in Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer for about a combined 45 games this season. The injuries looked to end the Bulls season early, but Rose took leadership of the team, and has led them to their first 60+ win season since the Jordan Era.

Derrick Rose is also the top candidate for regular season MVP this year. He is the only player in the NBA who is in the top 10 of scoring and assists (24 PPG and 8 APG).

If he wins it, he will also be the youngest player in NBA history to win the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

Moving onto the playoff picture, here are the top 4 seeds in the Eastern and Western conference:

East: (1) Chicago Bulls, (2) Miami Heat, (3) Boston Celtics, (4) Orlando Magic

West: (1) San Antonio Spurs, (2) Los Angeles Lakers, (3) Dallas Mavericks, (4) Oklamhoma City Thunder

There is no doubt that one of these teams will be leaving the post season with a trophy and some rings. Personally, the Bulls are my favourite east team, and my favourite overall to win.

The problem is, I don't see them going all the way. I would love to see that happen, but nobody has seen how far the Bulls are capable of going in the post season. They haven't gotten past the 1st round of the playoffs in the 3 years with Rose, and though they have improved immensly over the past year, they have alot to prove.

With that said, the playoffs are a completely different game than the regular season.

This is proved as recently as last year. The Cleveland Cavaliers, with Lebron James, had the best record in the NBA, but were taken out of the playoffs quickly by the Boston Celtics. Lebrons gone to Miami now, and Boston has been struggling lately, but how well they will play in the post season is a different conversation I don't want to get into.

The Los Angeles Lakers went in as a good team last season, but had late season struggles. They had a losing record over their last few games, and did not have the best record in the Western Conference either.

But they have won the NBA Championship for 2 years straight.

Being optimistic, the Bulls are still my favourite pick for playoff success. I do see the Bulls possibly sneaking in, but I believe that the east championship will go to the Heat. They have overcome most of their chemistry problems, and their antagonistic foes the Boston Celtics are looking bad after loosing Kendrick Perkins in a trade to OKC.

The Orlando Magic, I don't see at all because they have Dwight Howard, and that's about it. The Magic are a roster of over payed players that are good, but aren't as good in my eyes as they are portrayed. Plenty of veterans that are fairly consistent, but out of their prime.

And with Dwight Howard having alot of foul issues, regular and technical, I could see Dwight getting in trouble, if not ejected, in the playoffs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will see a championship one day, but it seems to far out of reach for such a young team with not enough experience.

The Mavericks always make it to the playoffs, but almost always get kicked out during the first round, and don't make too much noise if they get to the second. Their playoffs success is not endearing.

And the Boston Celtics have lost their intensity, and identity. Kendrick Perkins didn't get to play in the playoffs due to injury last year, but he is a very supportive teammate, and when he got traded before the deadline this year, the Celtics have lost their strength in the post, as well as their identity and fire as a team.

In the West I see the Spurs or Lakers getting the championship because they are proven title contenders that can finish and win it all. It comes down to how much they really want the championship this year.

My NBA finals predictions are:

Bulls vs. Spurs

or

Heat vs. Lakers

But again, the playoffs are a different game, that can be very surprising.

At this point, any team has a chance at glory.