Arcade Fire Wins Big; the downfall of the industrial music establishment

Arcade fire a relatively successful indie band(commercially speaking), shocked the world this year when they took home the biggest category of the grammys: album of the year. This came as a shock to a large percentage of the viewership of the grammys, whom we're hoping other more well known musical name would take home the most prestigious award of the evening. Despite their relative popularity (no doubt boosted by the grammys), the band is still largely obscure to the majority of the population, and most audiences reacted to the band's momentous win with comments much similar to "who in the world is Arcade Fire", but varying in the amount of contempt expressed towards the band and the number of profanitys used to express that contempt.it's not surprising that so many people dislike the band: although the bands music has managed to reach a huge audience, their musical aspirations remain 100% towards art rather than commerce, and accordingly their music has a degree of experimentation and emotional integrity that can be offputing for mainstream audiences. Considering the amount of backlash towards the grammies decision to award arcade fire with the album of the year, it might seem surprising that the grammy's made the decision to bestow arcade fire with this prize-don't they want to please the mainstream? who are the majority of the consumers of their synthetic factory pressed music? isn't this against their business interests?, which to be honest are their only interests. I believe that their decision to give arcade fire the top-prize of the night, was not a careless mistake, but cunning preemptive prositioning to prepare for the inevitable downfall of commercial music and the rise of genuine underground independent music movements. As the sales for mainstream music brands continue to plummet for illegal downloads, the only names that are still retaining their sales are the independent musicians, whome don't rely on expensive promotional campaigns to sell their music, but the inherent value found in their music; the connections, profound emotions and thought provoking ideas and sounds. along with increased commercial performance of indie musicians in comparision to mainstream musical brands,there is also the critical acclaim and endorsement by major mainstream music artists such as: kanye west, Jay-z, kid cudi etc. all these artists have stated that they are fans of independent musicians: with kanye west frequently writing about and supporting indie musicians on his website. The inluence of their newfound musical tastes are also reflected in the music of these big name artists, with kanye west having Bon Ivers as a guest musician on a song and sampling King Crimson( a highly influential 70's experimental band) in another, and kid cudi collaborating with indie bands ratata and MGMT to create a piee of music that managed to reach the pop charts. It's clear that independent music is about to make another one of it's bursts into the mainstream, that it's historically made every 15 years or so: specifically during the 60's 70's and 90's.

Street racing In Japan

In japan 25% of all of the cars that are used everyday are used to compete in illeagal street racing on the streets and highways on downtown tokyo japan. of the 25% of all cars that compete in these races nearly all of the drivers are between the ages of 19 and 28, do you think that this is just coincidince or just plain fact that the youth drivers of tokyo have a disregard for vehicle regulations and speed limits drifting around corners and driving up to three times the posted speed limit on small roads through the downtown core. Now being that people from other cultures and parts of the world tend to emulate other cultures to make them seem cooler or more popular but drifting as the japenese call it is a spreading phenomenon through the far reachs of the world using technologys such as Youtube and google video, which makes it easy to get hold of videos of cars drifting and sliding around corners.


In the united states and australia they have professinal teams and demonstrators that preform drifting for gigantic crowds making a huge profit for the event organizers and the teams aswell. Here is a couple videos of drift teams around the world:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TshFWSsrn8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

As you can see this a phenomenom that is used around the world today. Should it be banned you be the judge.

-Kyle Bairstow

Body Image in todays Society

In todays society body image is very different than what is was 100 years ago. back in the 1800s being skinny was seen as being unhealthy. men chased after women with large voluptuous figures, pale skin was seen as a thing of beauty. but in todays society it is the complete opposite. to have a large figure and pale skin is something that will easily draw people away from you. the media teaches us that it is okay to starve yourself as long as you look hot doing it, and that being unhealthy is the price you have to pay to fit in. we are given this image of a perfect body that we are all supposed to uphold. a size zero, tanned as can be, double D boobs and a large butt is something that is supposed to be socially acceptable. but truthfully it is impossible for all girls to uphold this image. with everybody having a different type of body is is actually impossible for some girls to get below a size 4. girls as young as the age of 6 have resulted to starving themselves in order to look more beautiful. the media in todays society is literally taking away the youth of little girls, but who can blame those girls??? they see it everywhere they go. with adds in the malls of women who seem to be perfect covered with men adoring them. more and more shows involving sexual images and stereotypical signs. little girls shouldnt have to be exposed to such thing but that fact is, its almost impossible to avoid these things now a days. i dont understand how we can let all of this continue. people are literally harming themselves just because some magazine says they have to. but the truth is we dont have to listen. everybody should be seen as beautiful in their own way.... and then and only then our world will that much of a happier place.

Episode II: ITS A TRAP

Episode II: ITS A TRAP

OK FINE, I LIED. All my post wont be about Star Wars, its gonna be annoying, so i decided to tackle another topic. This one being not as big as the the other posts, and speaking of which, there are like 5 or 4 blog posts about creatures (vampires specifically) and video games, so i said to myself, hell, why not combine the two and blog about that.

So i will, whats up zombies?

omg, their everywhere

Oh zombies, i love you, not only are you everywhere, (literally). Thank you zombies for not attracting little screaming 12 year old Bieber fans, thank you for being so intriguing and awesome, but most importantly, thank you for being in video games.

Personally, I think zombies are best represented in video games. There's nothing more awesome playing some good zombie game, running away from a mob of fleshing eating zombies and finding that trusty shotgun you left in the basement, then blowing them to shreds. On top of that, the suspenseful storyline of how it all started, learning that the main antagonist of the story is a bioengineering pharmaceutical company, creating viruses and bio weapons. Oh fun times indeed.

But lets not forget what makes zombies so appealing, what is it exactly? Is it the fact that they are also in movies, shows, comics and video games? The stories? the way they look? I dont know. I think ever since the invention of "Nazi Zombies", zombies became a worldwide addiction. Just like how vampires had twilight, zombies had Nazi Zombies. For those who dont know and are thinking "WHAT IS THIS NAZI ZOMBIE THING YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SIR?" Its in a first person shooting game called Call of Duty. First appearance of Nazi Zombies was in the 2008 hit Call of Duty World At War. 

Yeah, this actually happened.

Enough of video games, what about movies and shows? Yeah, they have them too. Fortunately, its awesome, no Twilight love triangle BS. Zombie shows like The Walking Dead and movies like Zombieland and Quarantine  are insanely awesome and highly enjoyable. Comic books too such as the Walking Dead. 

I say zombies are way cooler and better then vampires or werewolves, they don't do any pedophile things like stalk you or want to suck your blood, but they actually give you the chills and scare you. Can you image a hungry flesh eating zombie chasing after you in the middle of the night? 

So I wanna ask you guys a question:

Zombies or Vampires? Why?

My vote is definitely on zombies, its the fact that their scary, the way the look, what they do, and how they do it. Its without a doubt cooler than vampires. To wrap things up, I think zombies should be more appreciated than vampires, everything entertainment that the zombie genre has to offer is way better than what vampires have. Zombie movies, games, movies, comics, books shows, destroy vampires. Enjoy my mini zombie gallery, recognize any of these?

Concerns With the Ever So Popular Twilight

I love vampire and supernatural books as much as the next person so I picked up the novel Twilight in grade seven at a book fair when the book was unheard of and newly released. I noticed a few odd concepts in the novel but at the age of 13 it doesn't register to a full degree.  By grade 9 the book was flowering with the popularity it was receiving and I read it again. I was disturbed by the new things I found that I now know isn't natural.

Edward Cullen. Main hot, sexy male character.

He is a stalker and a pedophile.

He watched Bella as she slept? He thirsted for her blood? He followed her home? 
There and then, the alarm bell started going, but Bella STILL fell in love with him! She's okay with the fact she watches her. She's okay with the fact that he thirsts for her blood and wants to EAT her.  Usually you would not be turned on or attracted to someone who takes their free time to watch you sleep or wants to eat you...you get a restraining order.

To top it,  he is over 100 years old. She is 17.  Can you say Pedophilia?
Think, if he did show his age?  He'd be ANCIENT.

Why is he in high school again? WHY would you want to repeat the thing most can't wait to get out of?
Possibly Edward has had hits to his manly pride as well. After all, he does Sparkle like a diamond in the sun.  What happened to the TRADITIONAL vampires? The ones who stayed inside all day? Who were afraid of crosses? Who hated garlic?
They were replaced with sparkling, human loving vampires like Edward.

Miss Bella Swan becomes SO RELIANT on Edward. Ditches her friends, ditches her friends and  lies to her father several times throughout the series.
Then he breaks up with her suddenly.
What does she do?
She sits, in a corner and mops. For MONTHS. In the SAME clothes.  She refuses to talk to anyone and shuts out the world.
WHAT?
GO GET SOME HELP.
She is a boy. We get it. You loved him but hunny, get over it.
Then he comes back and she goes on crawling back to him like a sick little puppy.

What does this teach the young girls of today who read these books?
Be reliant on your man.
WOW.
Independence? We fought for that! Why do you need a man? You can live just fine without one. Don't make me start quoting the Pussycat Dolls and their "I Don't Need A Man" song.

"I don't need a ring around my finger, to make me feel complete" -PCD
Yep, but Bella does. At the age of 18, she ditches University and her family and goes off to marry Edward. Smart move. Way to give up your entire life for a man.

Now after going though Biology in grade 9, I realize a HUGE problem.

BELLA GETS PREGNANT?

HOW?

That is biologically incorrect.

He has no blood and no semen therefore not only is it not possible for him to have intercourse with her, it is impossible to make her pregnant.
Also, WHY would you want the child of a vampire who will rip its way out of your body when its ready to come out?

Smart thinking...I guess they didn't think people learned biology. Or did they just wish for us to ignore the basic facts of reproduction?


Call me critical because I can't enjoy a basic vampire novel but I can only ignore so many details before it becomes unbearable to read without thinking WHAT THE...?

What IS perfect, nowadays?

How skinny is TOO skinny? Is being skinny unhealthy? Well, we're not really thinking about those questions nowadays, are we?

The media, and pretty much everywhere you look, you are encouraged to be skinny, to look sexy, and due to this, we are convinced that super skinny, is super sexy. For example, the media uses only skinny models in television ads, magazines, and anything else you look at. You dont even see curves anymore, for clothing ads and modeling, the models are flat, and skinny. Most people cant even look like that, models use a lot of drugs to look like that, and starve themselves, bringing in the issue of eating disorders.

So basically, the media is encouraging us to be skinny, be unhealthy, and turn anorexic? Yeah, thats pretty much how it seems, and its working. Many girls are currently stressing about their weight, if their 100 pounds, or 200 pounds, they want to be skinnier. One of the main reasons, is some people will bully, make fun of you, and reject you if they consider you 'fat'. If you feel fat, you'll be afraid to be rejected, and try to lose weight. Some people take pills, throw up, starve themselves, or do other dangerous things to their bodies. Men nowadays also mostly look at appearance, they look for skinny, because 'skinny is sexy'. Curves may be sexy to a lot of men aswell, but if they are in the wrong places, they usually wont even blink an eye, because the media brainwashes us to believe being skinny is the only good thing. Even being average isn't looked at as much. I believe the new idea of using healthy looking women in ads is great, to encourage women to be healthy, and reduce the risks of eating disorders, like anorexia and bolemia. Things like this will hopefully help a lot.

Young children are even at risk of future eating disorders, and being self concious about their bodies.

One of the main toys that put them at risk are barbies. Barbies are older, but still very popular among young girls. They have extremely small stomachs, skinny waists, skinny legs, and huge breasts, all topped off with a big, unfitting head, that shows how small their bodies really are. Technically, if thats how real girls looked, we wouldn't be able to stand up and support our bodies, and would probably suffocate ourselves when we lied down. Other dolls made are the same, bratz, and cheap ripoffs of barbies, are all very skinny, and young girls will want to look like them, because they are 'pretty'. From a young age, the media messes with our minds, and gives us unhealthy messages about our bodies, and its putting eveyrone in danger, especially women, though men can feel self concious too, and could go to extremes to be skinnier, or work out untill they are all muscle, and nothing else, which could be very bad for you.

Sadly, the media is succeeding in their advertising, because even I have become quite insecure about my weight, and I feel I need to be very skinny to look pretty. Someone in my family is twice my age, 116 pounds, and thinks she is very overweight, so she isn't eating properly. The media is dangerous, being SUPER SKINNY is dangerous, and can lead to permanant harm, serious injury, and eating disorders. I could go on forever about how awful the media is for advertising this. I thought advertising clothing was about the clothes, not the bodies on the models underneath the clothes. Sadly, thats all that catches our attention now. 90% of the time, our body is the most noticed, and judged thing, usually by the opposite sex, but it can be by anyone. If we let the media take over our view on this issue, like it has been, it will have serious consequences, and coming from personal experience, depression. Though, if you see the truth behind this, and ignore the photoshopping, and the super skinny models' perfection, and find just one person who agree's, it will make a big difference in your life. To find people nowadays that wont judge you for the way you look is hard, but its possible. Personality is key in people. And most ads are just mind controlling, so dont fall for them.

I just wanted to get my oppinion across on the media advertising unhealthy body images. It needs to be reduced, because its harming us. Healthy, is beautiful. Skinny... well, if your scary skinny, its kind of scary, and unhealthy, so please go to a doctor, get some help, dont harm yourself. Thank you for reading~

Inception - Dreaming and more...

The movie Inception just boggles my mind between its talented actors, the layering of dreams, and the idea of being inside someone else's dream, its all so... exciting... and its such a creative way to look at dreams! I absolutely loved everything about this film!!

For those of you who don't know, I will give you a quick insight to the main storyline. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the part of a professional dream thief who assembles special teams to steal knowledge and secrets from the unconscious mind of his target. "Inception" is defined as the planting of an idea in the subconscious mind; the concept of inception is exactly what Leonardo's character is trying to perform while someone is dreaming.

I believe that Christopher Nolan, the producer, the director and the writer of this film, wanted to pose many unanswered questions for his audience such as; is this life real? Could we possibly be in a dream state right now, but we are just made to believe this is our story?

Many of the concepts used in Inception like possibly living another life and dreaming are used in other films including the Wizard of Oz, Coraline, the Narnia series, and the Matrix. Throughout this film, Nolan has clearly used the concept of media construct reality. The 'media' used by the characters is just not one that we are familiar with. It is fictional media that uses chemistry, electronics, and special mental abilities. (I am not sure this would be a good thing, but then print has been used for evil as well as good - right?) Nolan uses the film to present a 'better than our reality' world where people have these unique abilities. It seems that there is no limit for the concepts of reality used in Inception as not many people could possibly imagine what it would be like to take part in someone else's dream. I know that as I finished watching Inception, I had many questions and a new outlook on life as I'm sure many other viewers also did. The movie also opens our minds to different possibilities for our world's future and what reality truly is or could be.

Fame = Addiction

In Bruno Mars’ song “Talking to the Moon” he sings “I’m feeling like I’m famous, the talk of the town. They say I’ve gone mad, yeah, I’ve gone mad.” Being watched and people constantly by the whole world at all times will eventually drive you insane. Sometimes the only way you can feel alone in the world and forget about all of your problems is by doing drugs or getting involved with alcohol.

We all know the many famous cases of celebrity additions such as; Eminem, Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and Kiefer Sutherlans. Although, Bruno Mars; the newest addict to the list. He recently pleaded guilty to having 2.6 grams of cocaine in his pocket. Personally, I love Bruno Mars, and I know all of his songs off by heart, he's my version of Justin Bieber. Let’s imagine for a minute that Justin Bieber was found taking a bong hit with Miley Cyrus. Half of the world’s female children and teens would either follow the example that has been set or become ever so dramatic about the incident.

The power of fame is astonishing; every little girl and every little boy once dreams about living the good life with all the money, popularity, and glamour. But in reality, it's not always an amazing life style.

Case 39

In this horror movie directed by Christian Alvart, a social worker, Emily Jenkins played by Renee Zellweger si assigned to investigate the family of a 10 year old Lilith Sullivan, played by Jodelle Ferland because of a sudden drop in her marks, and a emotional struggle with her parents. Emily (Renee) suspects that Lilith(Jodelle) parents abuse her and she orders child services to take her away and put the parentss in a mental institution because of some psychotic behabvior that they showed. Emily was going to put Lilith in a foster home, but she convicved Emily to let her stay with her. After they moved in with each other strange things began to happen to both Emily and Lilith; including another one of Emily's case which involved a young boy killing his parents. Concerned Emily heads to the Mental Facility where Lilith's parents were staying and asks them what is going on with Lilith. She soon figures out that Lilith is a demon and she feeds off other peoples emotions. The only way to kill her is to make her fall asleep, so Emily does this and lights her home on fire with hope that she will die. Turns out that Lilith is fine than Emily decides to take drastic actions, and drives her car over a pier and eventually Lilith drowns.

Beauty is Skin Deep.

"You look beautiful today."
Seems like a flattering compliment to receive. But what exactly do they mean by beautiful?
Their personal perception of beauty? What the media tells us beauty should look like? Or do they mean the confidence we exhibit of our inner beauty?

What exactly is does it mean to be BEAUTIFUL?

Beauty is defined as: the combination of all the qualities of a person or thing that delight the senses and please the mind. But we all have our own idea of what we personally see as ideal beauty. But do we really go with our instincts of what we feel is truly beautiful or are we influenced so greatly by the western ideal of beauty that our opinion of beauty isn't really our own anymore.

So let me ask you this...

Is this beautiful?

What about this?

Or this?

All of the people above have one thing in common. They want to fit into what is considered to be beauty in the part of the world they live in. Not so different from us westerner's, huh?

Media messages are all about conformity. In any part of the world. It sets an ideal, and it's your job to meet it and until you do you will be bombarded with it's messages telling you to be like that. And some poeple take that obsession of that ideal way to far.

For example in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, western ads and media is advertised heavily over there. And it has set off a chain reaction where women feel they should be more fair skinned. So much so that they turn to skin bleaching products, which some are unsafe and have horrid lasting effects on skin. Another reason why Thai women bleach their skin is because it is a sign of wealth & status. Tan skin indicates you are a labourer and very poor. So let me get this straight? To be beautiful, you have to rich? Sounds crazy right? Not far fetched when we compare it to all the Hollywood stars who the media adore because of their success and beauty.

In some parts of Western Africa traditional tribes still consider the beauty ideal passed on for generations of being overweight to be beautiful. It is considered to be more attractive to be overweight and have stretch marks. Some daughters are sent to camps where they are fed up to 16,000 calories a day to help them gain weight. Just about the polar opposite of the whole 'skinny is pretty' philosophy if you ask me.

There's one place that seems to be on the right track though. Brazil. The embrace and encourage curviness. Even the comparison of Brazilian models to North American models, they look much more muscular, healthy and curvier. Sounds perfectly realistic, right? Think again, Brazil has an huge draw of crowds for their plastic surgery industry. No place is perfect, but Brazil seems to be onto something groundbreaking...healthy? Could it be? Encouraging health and being fit? This is one thing that shouldn't just stay as a trend!

So what ever happened to having a size 12, healthy, happy, confident,  Marilyn Monroe being the face of western beauty?

Good Old Time's

AIGHT, My first blog.... sooooo exciting.

What's better than Nintendo 64 as my first topic, or not. I got my first gaming console back in 2005-ish, a Nintendo 64 from my cousin. In my honest opinion the game's WERE amazing, i would find the picture of the game i was looking for on the game cartridge's (...Fail), then smack it into the console and play one of the best classics ever, Mario kart or Jame's Bond! YEEA... No. But like i said, the game WERE amazing... now they are gerb... GERRRB! Well that is just my opinion, when i hear people saying they still like the game im just like, uhhhh dissapointing, the game has a resolution of like 10 pixels, but what ever if you want to play it go for it...

Revolution in the Middle East

Revolution in Middle East

The world has its eyes on the turmoil in the midle east. first it was Egypt, then Yemen, and now Lybia. Pretty soon it will be most of the arab world consumed in this revolution. what these countries are facing is a total end to their government and way of life. many of these countries are ruled by leaders who have been in power for 30+ years! These people have been living under a theocracy, meaning a government and law completely based on religion, ie. the Quaran. But now the outlash that started with Tunisia and Eygpt will echo thourhout the whole arab world, resulting in the end of this age old way of government and modernising the arab world into democracy. This in my opinion is a step forward, and in the future will better the relationship with the midle east and the western world.

Relationship between a guy and a girl

Have you ever been in a relationship? Or had a crush on someone? Or been in love? Well let me tell you from girl's perspective about what typical girl feel during the relationship.

Starting a relationship usually starts off as friends. Friends sometimes turn into a closer relationship such as, best friends. Best friends are not just a friend, but are friends that are like sisters or brothers. Sometimes friends know you more than you know yourself. Moreover, Best friends know more about your feelings, even before you tell them what's wrong. But, now the thing is, this best friend of yours turned into someone you're in love with. At first you don't know your own feelings, or know how to react around them. You constantly, want to impress this guy by wearing your favourite clothes, favourite jewellery and favourite shoes. Tiny impressions that were never taken into consideration such as, piece of a hair out of a place or even, how you walk is driving the girl insane. As the girl is thinking about tiny things that the guy will never notice, the guy whom confronts her saying he likes her. The girl feels like she has gotten everything. She starts to flirt around him and makes sure he is in love with her, just as the girl is in love with him. The guy on the other hand, thinks being "mysterious" and not texting back the girl will ATTRACT the girl more. Well WRONG. Every time, "mysterious" act, will motivate the girl to dig her own grave. She thinks about every possible solution about why he is being a jerk. Why he can't be like Romeo who dedicates all his life for a love one. As she compares Romeo and Juliet's scenario, she confronts her girlfriends and gossip. She vents on her friends, asking for advice. Some friends will say his not worth it or some say move on. Well what happens when you know that guy is not the greatest person, yet you know for a fact, you're in love with them. It is for a fact that, if you move on, there are millions of guys out there who can be so much better to you, yet you're in love with a total jerk.

Oh drat. So by this point the girl: is thinking about the guy and wants to talk to him. She is waiting for a text, even though the guy fully said he is busy. Then, from this stage, girls would exaggerate everything to one extend, and thinks about "Why is he putting THAT over me?", "Does he not like me?" Moreover, guys want to solve things and make decisions on the spot; on the other hand, girls likes to talk about it and want explanations.

Furthermore, as the situation appears as the couple couldn't handle the hardship anymore. Then, the girl mostly likely would confront the guy without any breakup intention to "talk". On the other hand, the guys usually think when girls say let's "talk" they refer to it as "breakup" or "serious talk". The guy however, will act cool and bring up the conversation about breakups. The girl's intention was obviously to just talk. Not Breakup.

With all the reasons, guys move on fast on to another girl. Flirting with girls, like her never had a girlfriend. Or even, on the stage of picking out his next girl. This is the difference between girl and a guy. Girl likes to talk about it, while the guy wants to solve everything according to that spot.

Behind the screen, you cannot judge people by how they talk. However, I wanted to share my point of view on how girls have more dedications and things to worry in the relationship than guys.

"Bring hockey back to Toronto"

Recent story on CTV involves local Toronto neighbourhood making a complaint over a city by-law. The city of Toronto has had a by-law for awhile now saying hockey is not allowed to be played on the streets. Neighbourhood in Toronto feels this law should be abolished. There are many reasons why these people/parents feel this way. One of the reasons for example are for financial reasons. Not every family can afford to put there kids in organized hockey which can sometimes be expensive depending on the skill level and team. Every kid should be able to play hockey freely on the streets without any cost. Its extremely unfair to kids that don't have the money to play to be excluded from the sport. Another example is for the issue of obesity. People say children these days are getting too caught up in television, video games and other entertainment that is pulling them away from physical activity. They say children these days don't get out and play enough. Its kind of hard for kids to get out and play when they cant play one of Canada's most popular official sports on the streets of their neighbourhood. Hockey is an activity that is very popular in Canada and has been since it was created. It is ridiculous how Toronto has banned it from being played on the streets of their city. Another argument used is that it keeps kids or even teens busy and off the streets causing trouble. When kids get bored that is when they start wondering the streets and causing problems. Kids on the street playing hockey would cause a lot less problems then kids vandalizing or selling drugs because they have nothing better to do. Local neighbourhoods are now trying to pressure city council to try and get Canada's game of hockey back on the streets of Toronto.

Harry Potter vs. Twilight

It has come down to this question: Are you a pothead or are you a twihard? We are talking about two of the biggest phenomenons here in pop culture history: Harry Potter and Twilight. People today are having difficulty deciding where their loyalties lie. I however, have no trouble choosing my side. Boys and girls, I think we can all agree here that Mr. Potter wins this battle. Twilight fans may beg to differ, but I assure you; after reading this post your views are bound to change. Now before Team Edward decides to bite me (or Team Jacob decides to rip me to shreds), I will admit that I am not completely against the whole Twilight franchise. I mean I've seen the movies and read all the books, but that of course does not make me a fanatic. But then again, that makes it fair game for me to compare the two series...

First off, J.K. Rowling is an exceptional writer, and a much better one than Stephannie Meyer at that, because her books are more rich in detail and much more believable (as far as fantasy goes). Even Stephen King said: "The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephannie Meyer can't write worth a [darn]." Now that's a little harsh, but at the same time completely true in some ways. I don't want to spoil Breaking Dawn (the fourth book in the Twilight series) for anyone who hasn't read it, but the ending is a complete waste of time especially after reading 700 and something pages in order to reach it.

The Harry Potter series is better aimed towards both genders as an audience. There is a good mixture of humour, adventure, mystery, and even sometimes a love story on the side. It is also better than Twilight because there are morals in the story worth following by. I'm talking about: courage, sacrifice, love, good conquers over evil, the power of friendship, and that all heroes have flaws. It is harder for me to find morals in the Twilight series (except love I guess). Another point is that I for one find Twilight quite sexist in terms of the characters because Bella is always the damsel in distress and she is constantly relying on Edward to save her. It is particularly annoying in New Moon when Bella is practically a zombie due to moping her head off just because the so called love of her life leaves the town. On the other hand, Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series, is a clever young lady who is able to take care of herself without clinging to Harry or Ron every minute of the day. Hermione is a character that girls should look up to, not clingy Bella.

Now let's talk about the film adaptations of the two books and the actual talent involved. I'm not saying the young actors involved in Harry Potter are the Clint Eastwoods and Meryl Streeps of our generation, but they sure are better than the Twilight young actors. The audience was able to grow with them throughout the movies because the characters had so much depth. Although maybe I should cut the Twilight cast some slack; it's not their fault they have to follow a cheesy script. I hate how in the Teen Choice Awards (which isn't even a legitimate awards show in my opinion) Twilight wins a countless number of times just because they have good-looking actors. But then of course Twihards will argue that the Twilight cast is actually made up of talented young actors. Oh really? What are the acting qualities that teenage girls find exceptional in the Twilight saga? Is it Taylor Lautner's forced intense expression, Robert Pattinson's beady eyes, or perhaps Kristen Stewart's constant frowning and lip biting? I didn't think so.

Now I don't mind if you enjoy the Twilight saga because of the plot and characters, but if you prefer the series over Harry Potter just because "they have hotter actors," then that is despicable. Choose what you want to believe after reading this post, but Harry Potter will always be the better series in my mind. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, vampires and wizards; my work here is done (for now). Mischief Managed.

“The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business 18”

Welcome to Sam’s Reality TV Check


A Fun Reality TV Show for all Ages!

The Amazing Race 2011 Reality TV show is bringing back teams from previous seasons, giving returning teams a second chance to win the Amazing Race One Million dollar grand prize. Contestants are specially selected favorite teams returning from Seasons 12 to 17. The Amazing Race 18 will be a 23-city race that will cover 5 continents and 40,000 mile. The new season of the amazing race is one to watch! This season the show is bringing back those teams who have competed before, but not won.

The competition is fierce!

The first “leg” of the race started in California but quickly moved to Australia where teams were this past week. Each episode includes 2-3 tasks per “leg”, where the teams compete against each other to get to the “rest stop” first. Each team, while competing against each other, complete tasks including; solving puzzles, locating local monuments and partaking in local rituals and customs. Those who get to the rest stop first, are given the privilege of leaving first for the next leg of the race. The team arriving first is rewarded with a vacation or a cash prize. Most of the time, those who complete the “leg” of the race last will be eliminated. Once in awhile there will be a non elimination round where no one gets sent home. However, if you are the last team to arrive in this particular week, and you have been spared elimination, you will have to complete an additional task during the next “leg” of the race.

Each “leg” of the race brings its challenges – “roadblocks”, “fast forwards”, “yields” and “u-turns” making the game more exciting and stressful for all those involved and those of us watching at home!

Watch your favorite team and find out who is getting closer to winning the million dollar cash prize from other competitors on “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business Season 18” on CTV Sunday night at 8 sharp.

Your Reality TV Blogger – Keeping it Real!
Samantha Stewart

Monday Night TV date

On a Monday night, with little homework and nothing to do what is your first instinct? Most teenage girls will turn on the tube for eight o'clock, switch to Much Music and sit down for a two hour date with Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl. Both shows are filled with a world most of us could only dream of, but why? Why would we dream of a world filled of lies, betrayals, secrets, cheating and stealing?

Pretty Little Liars is built off of the concept of a small town, rich families and dark secrets. Secrets centered around the death of a girl who appeared to be as innocent as the average 7th grader, but as the story progresses all the personal information she knew about her so called best friends begins to unravel. Everything from student and teacher affairs, stealing your sister's boyfriends to questioning your gender identity. These scenarios on their own sound unbearably delicate to handle and would most likely make the lives of teens today unpleasant and stressful. PLL has become so captivating because of the way these deceptions are presented. Remember the small town and rich families mentioned above, families willing to keep secrets private to avoid humiliation and foreclosure, family members committing similar acts and parents that are unwilling to accept their children's true identity. The young ladies with these secrets are constantly decked out in the latest fashions,surrounded by expensive shops and cars. Not only this, but they also seem to luck out when you feel that the last few threads of the web of lies will come undone. Someone or multiple people that the girls only know as A seem to have control over their lives because some how they know the details to all of their secrets. The main thrill to watching the show is the race to see if you can guess who A is before they tell you. The show being wisely thought out, leads you in different directions to keep your interest.

A parallel to this is Gossip Girl which has the same general scheme, connected through family and friends, relationships and lies. GG has had more deceptive turns than you can count and many more in store for the future. GG also has a secret identity, an internet blogger unidentified to all, who updates Manhattan's elite young adults with each other's secrets. Again this show holds the ideological messages that are in PLL.

The similarities between the two television programs are endless, hidden identities, rich, beautiful, happy, glamorous people all trying to keep their status. The pair both shed light on the latest in peer pressure issues among teens, such as sexual orientation, drugs and alcohol giving both the "positive" or fun side and the negative down side to each issue. They also give the audience the opportunity to choose their own meaning. The best example of this is attempting to determine the identity of both A and Gossip Girl.

Even with all of these details both shows are still captivating, thus being able to keep rating high and keep viewers interested. Don't believe me? keep an open mind and tune in next Monday.

The Ipad2

Apple iPad 2 rumors has announced a much better display for the next generation of ipad model for some time now. There’s some good evidence to point that the new iPad 2 display may double up the number of pixels from 1024X768 to 2048X1536. So thats a great improvement for the ipad2.

Apple will quadruple the iPads native resolution as it did when it introduced iPhone 4 as a matter of fact. resulting in a very high resolution display with a pixel density somewhere around 260 ppi, short of the Retina display that they have on the iphon4 status, but still higher than most high end smartphones that’s for sure.

well, I guess Apple is aiming high with the new ipad2 and i do like themore advanced resolution that they have to offer to the next generation of models of ipads

Do you look in the mirror, and hate what you see? Do you poke and prod at your body, wishing it could be thinner, and more toned?

Eating Disorders affect millions of people. Males and Females. They're so common that they effect 1 or 2 out of 100 kids in the U.S.. These kids will mostly suffer from either Anorexia Nervosa or Bulima Nervosa.

Anorexia Nervosa Syptoms

• can become seriously underweight
• easily upset and irritable
• loss of sleep and energy
• decreased concentration and attention
• become obsessed with thoughts of food
• mood, anxiety and personality disorders

Bulimia Nervosa Symptons

• complusive exercising
• regularly going to the bathroom after eating
• discarding packages for laxatives, diet pills, emetics & diuretics.

*If you know anyone that might be suffering from either of these, or any other eating disorder, please confront them and/or get them help immediately. These eating disorders are no jokes.

I believe that the media is to blame for this. In todays media, we see models that look perfect, with their perfectly thin bodies, air brushed skin, and flawless makeup. Whether we notice it or not, we're surrounded by these advertisements, and it influences the way that we see ourselves when we look into that mirror every morning. Now because we are surrounded by all these subliminal messages, boys and girls around the world starve themselves, and spend thousands of dollars a year on material items, so that they can try and achieve what the media states is perfect.

The “Video Game”! Good or Bad?

The Video game has affected many of us on earth. Video gaming is like a hobby, just like reading, fishing, or playing sports, it's a form of entertainment. The problem is that video gaming has imprinted a negative impact in society.

Numerous studies show that people playing video games for a long period of time, especially ones with violent content show the following behaviours:

· Tend to be more aggressive

· Are more prone to confrontation with their teachers

· May engage in fights with their peers

· See a decline in school achievements.

This shows that media had ideological messages. The violence in the game influences the gamer to become more violent and aggressive.

Academic success can be negatively associated to over-all time spent playing video games. Studies have revealed that the more time a kid wastes on playing video games, the poorer is his performance in school.

Playing video games has many health affects, leading health issue is Obesity. The longer one is sitting and playing video games the higher risk of getting obese. Some other health issues include:

· Overuse injuries of the hand

· Obesity

· Muscle and joint problems

· Eyestrain

This shows that media has ideological messages. The violence in the game influences the gamer to become more violent and aggressive. Media also appeals to all five sense, that’s why it’s so addicting. The media use techniques to plead your senses making one play for a longer period of time, which cause drop in academic success and higher the chances for one to be obese .