Youth Are Awesome, commonly referred to as YAA, is a blog written by youth for youth.
YAA provides the youth of Calgary a place to amplify their voices and perspectives on what is happening around them.
Youth Are Awesome is a program of Youth Central.
Any views or opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people or organizations that the blog may be associated with, unless explicitly stated. All content is for informational purposes only.
It has always been my personal perception that Calgary is an extremely flat city. Land-wise, Calgary is by no means flat – we have many hills and ditches. On the other hand, our architecture is on average shorter. The tallest buildings are clustered in downtown, but for the rest of the city, we are mainly residential. I enjoy being able to see the wide open sky; Calgary has achieved my love, because without the flatness of Calgary, I would not be able to witness such beautiful sunrises or sunsets in the city. Here are some of the photos that I took from a recent sunrise in Calgary:
If you think that the Lego Movie is just another way to cash in or is just a trashy film made to sell more LEGO products, then you’re very wrong. There’s just something amazing about the Lego movie, in a weird way. Not only is the Lego Movie a brilliant mesh of childhood nostalgia, eye catching animation, and gut-busting humor, but its lovable quirky characters along with its thoughtful story make it one of the best films I’ve seen this year thus far.
A short summary: Emmet is just an ordinary LEGO mini-figure construction worker, who one day becomes mistakenly identified as the “Special,” an extraordinary person with the key to save the world. Soon, he finds himself on an incredible adventure with a fellowship of strangers on a mission to stop Lord Business, the tyrannical president of the Octan Corporation, a journey Emmet is completely and utterly unprepared for.
First off, the animation is incredible. The entire story is animated in computer graphic generated Lego. It creates the coolest visually-pleasing effect I have ever seen. Even the water, smoke and fire are Lego animations. To make it even more authentic, the frame rate is slightly choppy. This doesn’t take away from the experience as you might think, but adds to it. Of course, the characters faces are animated differently, with varying expressions, but their movements were that of an authentic Lego. Seeing all the Lego figures and buildings kind off gives off a nostalgic feel of when I used to play with Lego figures and the like, which is a bonus.
This movie has a diverse range of characters, who all make the movie equally enjoyable. Emmet’s team of fellow mission goers includes Wyldstyle, an enigmatic girl, Unikitty, a literal cross between a unicorn and a kitty, Vitruvius, and old wizard master builder, Metal Beard, a pirate, Benny, a 1980-something space guy and Batman, Wyldsytle’s boyfriend. Yes, boyfriend. All of them are unique in their own way, and provide quite a few quality jokes for the laughs in the show. What I love though, is how some familiar iconic people make a cameo in the film, in Lego form of course. Faces such as Superman, Green Lantern, Han Solo and even Shaquille O’Neal pop up in the movie. There’s even a good cop-bad cop character, who’s head spins around when changing characters. If that doesn’t get you to watch the film, I don’t know what will.
The music and humour in this movie was great. The music created the right atmosphere at the right times, and I enjoyed it, especially the insert song Everything is Awesome played constantly in the movie. That tune is the type that you’ll be singing all the way from the theater on the trip home. The humor pretty much made me laugh many times during the movie. From clever one-liners to comedic actions and cheesy music (in the best way), this movie is comedic gold.
Finally, there’s the story. From the summary, I’m assuming you think that it’s just another cliched ordinary person turned hero stories, and while partly true, this movie goes beyond the typical boundaries of such stories and exceeds in making it better. It takes character stereotypes to the extreme, but does so in a way that it parodies it and makes it hilarious. Emmet, the main character isn’t your typical hero. He admits his flaws openly, and decides to help on the mission to stop Lord Business anyways. Near the end of the movie, there is an ingenious twist that makes anything unusual or strange in the movie suddenly make sense, all the while sending out a subtle message when all the conflict is resolved. It was a great way to end it and I personally couldn’t think of how it could be any better.
Overall, I highly recommend going to see this movie. It’s one that you can’t help but love, because of all its great points. In my opinion, everything is awesome in The Lego Movie!
With the 2014 Winter Olympic Games now a distant memory, the world has moved on. It has moved on from the funny faces of Ashley Wagner, the hilarious #sochiproblems, and everything else in between. But before we move on and forget, let us recap all of Canada’s medal wins.
Sochi’s terrifying mascots. One of many #sochiproblems.
Day 1: Feb 8, 2014
Mark McMorris brings home Canada’s first medal of the games with an impressive bronze medal victory of men’s snowboard slopestyle.
Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe send sister shivers to all women moguls competitors. Chloe captured silver while her sister, who scored 0.78 more points than her, took home the gold medal.
Regina’s Mark McMorris brings home Canada’s first medal of the games!The Dufour-Lapointe sisters celebrating their 1-2 in women’s moguls. Gold medalist Justine is on the left, while silver medalist Chloe is on the right.
Day 2: Feb 9, 2014
In the inaugural Team Skate event in Sochi, Team Canada (composed of Patrick Chan, Scott Moir, Tessa Virtue, Kaetlyn Osmond, Kevin Reynolds, Eric Radford, Meagan Duhamel, Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch) captured the silver medal by edging out their American rivals, by five points.
Team Canada: Figure Skating Edition, celebrates their silver medal victory.
Day 3: Feb 10, 2014
Charles Hamelin defied odds and defeated heavy favorites Victor An of Russia and Tianyu Han of China, in order to win the gold medal in the Men’s 1500m speedskating competition. Hamelin received gold around his neck after edging Victor An of Russia by seven-hundredths of a second.
A thrilled (and rightfully so) Charles Hamelin celebrates a gold medal, Canada’s second of the games (thus far).
Alex Bilodeau proved once again that he is Canada’s golden boy, after defeating fellow Canadian Mikael Kingsbury by 1.6 points en route to his second gold medal in a row. Bilodeau also proved why he is one of Canada’s most loved athletes after the event by dedicating his gold medal to his brother Frederic, who suffers from has cerebral palsy. While Bilodeau defended his gold medal title, Mikael Kingsbury impressed with a solid run; however, fell short of the gold medal after struggling with the vicious turns on the moguls course.
Alex Alex Bilogold celebrates a gold medal victory for Canada, his brother, and himself. Whoops, I mean Bilodeau.Mikael Kingsbury celebrates his silver medal. Nothing to be ashamed of, as he loses to now back-to-back men’s moguls medalist, Alex Bilodeau.
Day 4: Feb 11, 2014
The inaugural women’s skiing slopestyle event impressed many, as the youth of the sport proved exactly why the sport is so much fun to watch. Canadian Dara Howell, who is just 19 years in age, dominated the field by defeating American Devin Logan – 20 years of age – who went on to win the silver medal by a 8.8 point difference. Canada was not finished there as 25 year old Kim Lamarre took home the bronze medal after being edged by Devin Logan by 0.40 points.
Dara Howell flashes her bling, and adjusts to the camera. She’ll be doing a lot of that in the future.Quebec’s Kim Lamarre shows off her bronze medal.
Day 5: Feb 12, 2014
With one of the most heartwarming stories of the 2014 Olympics, Gilmore Junio put forth Canada’s collective interests while pushing his individual interests to the side, when he sacrificed his spot in the men’s 1000m speedskating event. He vacated his spot so that fellow Canadian, Denny Morrison could have a shot to go for gold. Morrison certainly did not disappoint as he brought home a silver medal for Canada, himself, and Junio.
Denny Morrison honours Gilmore Junio while celebrating his silver medal (on the right) in the men’s 1000m.
Day 6: Feb 13, 2014
Day six was a rare day for Canada, as we picked up no medals. Canada did defeat arch-rival the USA in a round-robin match in women’s hockey in which birthday girl, Meghan Agosta, scored two goals en route to a 3-2 victory. Both Canadian curling teams won, with Jennifer Jones knocking off Great Britain 9-6, and Brad Jacobs knocking off host country Russia, 7-4.
Agosta celebrates her game-wining gold in what many knew would be the preview of the gold-medal showdown that was on the horizon for both teams.
Day 7: Feb 14, 2014
Patrick Chan and Yuzuru Hanyu entered a tight race on Day 7, in which one was guaranteed to leave with the gold medal, while the other would settle for silver. Hanyu skated first, and to the relief of many Canadian fans, made many mistakes. The stage was set for Patrick Chan. Chan struggled as much, if not more than Hanyu in his free skate, but nonetheless, made his country proud by winning a silver medal.
Although one Torontonian has been getting into a lot of trouble lately, this Torontonian celebrates and makes his city of Toronto proud.
Day 8: Feb 15, 2014
Day 8 for Canadians was known as “Blades: The Return of Denny Morrison.” Morrison, who earned his way into the Men’s 1500m speedskating event left it all on the ice as he won his second medal of the games; however, this time, a bronze medal.
O Denny!
Day 9: Feb 16, 2014
In the Men’s Super G, Jan Heduc brought home Canada’s first Alpine Skiing medal in 20 years after skiing the Super G in a time of 1:18.67, which was the time of Bode Miller, who skied just a few positions before Heduc. Heduc showed the Canadian spirit of “never giving up,” en route to a (joint) bronze medal victory.
Jan Heduc ends the 20 year drought for Canada in Alpine Skiing.
Dominique Maltais also won on that day, with silver in Women’s Snowboard Cross.
Petite-Rivière-Saint-François in Quebec is made proud by its local hero, Dominique Maltais,
Day 10: Feb 17, 2014
Day 10 marked one of the most controversial days of the Olympics for Canadians, as the golden couple, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, danced their way to Olympic silver. Although many thought they had out-danced the eventual gold medal winners, Davis and White, the judges certainly disagreed, as they scored Davis and White 4.53 points higher than the golden couple.
The Golden Couple still smile amid their controversial silver medal win.
Day 11: Feb 18, 2014
Mike Riddle solved his own riddle after a dominant second run which earned him the silver medal in the Men’s Ski Halfpipe. After scoring a 71.40 in his first run, and as a result, basically being ruled out of medal contention, Riddle came back with a stunning 90.60 point run.
Although Calgarians may not like the Oilers, Eskimos, Rush, or Oil Kings, we must love Edmontonian Mike Riddle.
Canada also won a silver medal in the Women’s 3000 Speedskating relay. Team Canada (composed of Marie-Ève Drolet, Jessica Hewitt, Marianne St-Gelais, and Valérie Maltais) skated a conservative race behind relay powerhouses China and Korea en route to a bronze medal victory. However, China was later disqualified, giving the Canadian girls a well deserved silver medal victory.
Another Team Canada! This time, Team Canada: Women’s 3000m edition!
Day 12: Feb 19, 2014
All eyes were on the Americans for the Women’s 2 Man Bobsled Event. Kallie Humphries and Heather Moyse, the eventual closing ceremony flag bearers for Canada, didn’t let that bother them. Humpheries and Moyse had a near perfect race, after knocking off gold-medal favorites, Lauryn Williams and Elana Meyers of the US by a tenth of a second.
CALGARY’S OWN Kaillie Humphries celebrating alongside her partner from PEI, Heather Moyse.
Day 13: Feb 20, 2014
Day 13 started off with a bang as Jennifer Jones and her rink entered the Women’s Curling Finals with a perfect record. Jennifer Jones finally brought home the gold in Women’s Curling for Canada, after Canada had placed with back to back bronze medals in 2002 and 2006, and had disappointed with a silver medal in 2010, with a lost to team Sweden. Although Jones’ rink did not represent Canada in 2010 when they settled for silver, Jones showed once again why Canadians are the most dominant at curling with a 6-3 victory over defending champions, Sweden. The action didn’t stop there.
Jennifer Jones earns one of the most deserved gold medals of the Olympic games, alongside her teammates Dawn McEwen, Jill Officer, and Kaitlyn Lawes.
Two hours after Jennifer Jones brought home gold for Canada, Canada’s women’s hockey team looked as if they would be settling for silver against their arch-rivals, the USA. After a dominant first and second period by the USA, team Canada went into the third period trailing, 2-0. There was still hope for the Canadian girls with 20 minutes to play; however, as time winded down, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 minutes left, any hope dissipated. That was until Briane Jenner scored a beautiful goal which deflected off an American defender, after a great individual effort. The party didn’t stop there, as Marie-Philip Poulin scored with 55 seconds left in the third period to tie the game at two a piece after receiving a perfect centering pass from Hayley Irwin. And of course, things got even wilder from there. The Americans were shocked, while the Canadians were ecstatic, and filled with hope, as both teams entered a 20 minute sudden-death overtime period. Marie-Philip Poulin cemented her name in Women’s Hockey about 12 minutes into the overtime period when she sniped a beautiful snap shot past American goaltender Jessie Vetter to give the Canadian Women’s Hockey team their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
This picture is one for the ages. A priceless picture for the ages.
Day 14: Feb 21, 2014
Off the heels of a super exciting Day 13, in which Canada picked up two gold medals, no Canadian athlete wanted to stop the momentum on Day 14. The day opened when Canadians Marielle Thompson and Kelsey Serwa won the gold and silver medals respectively, in the Women’s Ski Cross. With a dominant 1-2 performance similar to that of the Dufour-Lapointe sisters, Canada made Olympic history by being the first nation to win four medals in freestyle skiing at one games. Dara Howell and Mike Riddle made history alongside Serwa and Thompson.
Whistler’s Marielle Thompson starts Day 14 for Canada with a bang.Kelowna’s Kelsey Serwa shows that Alberta may not be the best skiing province in Canada.
Of course, Canada was not done yet on Day 14 either. Brad Jacobs and his rink defeated Great Britain in what was hyped to be one of the biggest matches in curling history. Jacobs made sure that happened in a different way. Jacobs and his rink dominated the entire time, en route to defeating Great Britain 9-3 in only 8 (of 10) ends.
Brad Jacobs and his team Ryan Harnden, EJ Harnden, Ryan Fry and Caleb Flaxey.
Charle Cournoyer ensured that Canada had a medal of every color on Day 14 after winning a bronze medal in the men’s 500m speedskating event to give Canada 4 medals on Day 14.
Cournoyer poses with his bronze medal.
Day 14 was capped off by a 1-0 Canadian victory over the Americans in the men’s hockey semifinal.
Basically a quick summary of how the Americans played in their semi-final game against team Canada.
Day 15: Feb 22,2014
After a wild Day 13 and 14, Canada cooled off, just in time for their Day 16 Gold Medal showdown in Men’s hockey against Team Sweden. Canada earned no medals on Day 15, but a nation was waiting patiently for a whole day, in search of another gold medal .
We all have the times where our defenses crumble; we feel hopeless and even melancholic. Sometimes, it is a feeling of betrayal. It could be a surge of realizing how irresponsible we are. This might possibly be when we think we are “useless” and have fallen behind in really doing our best to activate our potential.
There is one thing that we all uniquely do best, however. The art of being supportive of others is so broad, yet it is the way we do it that others cherish so fondly of. We are indeed all pillars for everyone we’ve come in contact with in some way. Consequently, every one we’ve been in contact with have built our foundations, big or small.
(Image source)
All of us have switched between various roles as leaders, supports, mentors, students, and everywhere in between. In all of those roles, others appreciate us for how we’ve demonstrated our unique edge. We are pillars in that we can come to others’ aid in so many different ways. This support was formed because of mutual acceptance of our individuality. Professionally, we can be the pillars that drive and sustain the initiative. Personally, we can share our hearts with others and they will do the same in relaying their trust to us.
We can be pillars not just in leading, but in allowing others to shine. Our support for others can be subtle, but at the same time everlasting. Putting your hand on your friend’s shoulder can be equally as inspiring as delivering a comprehensive speech. A few words of encouragement to anyone is as important as being the one to take actions. I feel at peace when I know that someone has supported a friend of mine in their way; that is a way we can fuel our own satisfaction.
A friend told me amid one of my big slumps that “we all need you.” We needed everyone we’ve contacted in the past and we’ll need everyone we meet in the future. Those people need us. Hence, we are the pillars that can hold up more than we know.
Last Saturday, I won first place in a regional debate, which had given me the idea for this week’s post. What needs to be done in order to win? What happens if you fail? How do you handle a win in a rational manner?
First off, we need to consider that getting first place doesn’t come that easily. A great deal of preparation, time, and effort is required. Let’s take preparing for a debate as an example. You must begin by brainstorming several ideas, and putting them on paper. After this, you can start to create different ideas or pillars, which can be used to structure your speech. Research, of course, is also needed. Once you have completed your speech, you must practice reciting the words over and over again, so that you are familiar with the content. Even though you might think that your arguments are top notch, there’s always some luck involved. Furthermore, at a debate, something can either go your way, or vice versa. The judges might evaluate your arguments in a very subjective manner, or even have bias towards the other team. From this, we can clearly see that coming in first place certainly requires a great deal of effort, and some “luck” as well.
So what happens after you win? After a big win, you might choose to have a little celebration. Then, you just have to keep on going. In other words, there will always be obstacles in the way. Lets take Olympic athletes for example. After years or vigorous training, they might receive a gold medal, which is a huge achievement. Following this, they have to put everything aside, and start training for the next Olympics. The cycle never ends. Now, imagine if the athlete fails to even reach the podium. In this case, they must show a sense of resiliency, and start training even harder in preparation for the next Olympics. This will give them a chance to redeem themselves.
In conclusion, we can see that winning isn’t that simple. Getting first place requires plenty of preparation, effort, and time. No matter what the circumstances are, always aim to be the best, and reach for success.
In commemoration of the Tamagotchi making a comeback this fall with new and improved toys, I would like to take the time to remember my experience’s with my old Tamagotchi toys, and how much fun I had with them.
My first Tamagotchi was a shiny blue one. I can’t remember which pet I had, but I do remember I loved it, although not so much when I had to feed it every few hours. I think I even tried to smuggle it into school a few times so I could play with it at recess and show it off to all of my friends. I don’t know if it was just my school, but we had our own way of deciding if you were cool or not in elementary. The more Tamagotchis you had, the cooler and more popular you were. You literally showed them off on your key chain that was attached to your belt to make sure everyone could see your supremacy. If someone had 10 Tamagotchis, you wouldn’t dare look them in the eyes walking down the hallway without their permission. Not only did I have a few of these cool toys, I got one from a friend of mine, which leads me into a really funny story.
Photo Creds: www.reevoo.com
In Kindergarten, there was this boy that had a huge crush on me who tried to win my affection by giving me things such as hand-drawn pictures and objects he found in his pockets. One day he was so desperate to win me over that he actually stole his older sister’s Tamagotchi and gave it to me. He claimed that she “would never notice it was gone” or she “never played with it anyways”, but I wasn’t quite sure I should take it. Its design was actually one of my favorites out there, it was all white, orange buttons and blue designs. But I was so scared to accept his kind gift because his sister was the scariest kid in school, she was in junior high and no one dared to mess with her that it took me a few hours to decide if I should take it or not. However, temptation took a hold of me and I just couldn’t resist that design, so I took it home with me. I showed my mom, yet again, a gift this boy gave to me, since it was a daily habit to joke around about how silly he was being, and she was quite shocked to find this gift much nicer than the rest. Eventually, I believe I did give it back to him to return to his sister because I was so scared that she would find out and he’d spill the beans.
I hope you liked my little love story, and I hope you guys were okay with the different style of post this week. If you have any funny stories from elementary school or any memorable experiences with Tamagotchi’s and other 90’s toys, I’d love to hear about them! You can leave a comment bellow or tweet me it at @audrey_niksic!
The Olympics are over now. Canada’s team of athletes won an impressive total of 25. And, all for a very real price tag.
I’m of two minds when it comes to programs such as Own the Podium. (You can see a nice breakdown of their portion of the funding on their website.)
The reality is that Own the Podium has made a difference. Canada’s “performance” (if you like to define it in this manner) has certainly improved.
This money has created incredible opportunities for athletes, particularly in enabling professional athletes to be just that. Sports require time and money, and it’s difficult to handle a full time job as well as maintain one’s international standards.
However, I’m not sure I support the idea of the Olympics being results-based: Own the Podium’s CEO Anne Merklinger announced that Canada’s goal going into Sochi was that “we want to win more medals than we won in Vancouver“. And to do that, the Canadian strategy appears to be throwing money at it.
Anne Merklinger, CEO of Own the Podium (Image source)
This remains understandable as most winter sports require facilities and equipment and certain weather/conditions that are out of reach of many countries (as opposed to say, many track sports such as sprinting). In competitions such as bobsled and speed skating, investments are pouring into equipment and uniform design, all to give an athlete a slight advantage and edge over another–after all, in competitions, the winning scores can differ by thousandths of a second. Like this, it sometimes appears that the Winter Olympics have become a war of funding rather than an athletic competition. (Although the grace with which some teams have embraced their position as an unlikely competitor for the love of a sport is, as always, humourous and inspiring)
The Canadian team of 220 is massive compared to the many nations that only sent just one or only a few athletes. Which is wonderful, as this means more Canadians gain the opportunity to compete at the Olympics, but is also an indication of Canada’s extravagant, “more is better” attitude.
As the costs of “owning the podium” rise, from $70 million for Vancouver to $80 million in Sochi, there comes a point where we have to draw the line and decide simply how much money this “Canadian pride” is worth. Although, regardless of motivation, those in sports might as well take advantage of it while they can.
The Teppanyaki-style restaurant Sakana Grill is one of my favourite places to eat, and for a good reason.
First of all, the menu is large, creative and accommodating to everyone.
I recommend ordering an Udon Noodle soup, a sushi boat or even some Teriyaki Chicken. I personally guarantee that they are good. Overall the food is awesome and should be accompanied by some tea.
The service is quite diverse depending on the time of day and who is serving you. Things like asking for low-sodium soy sauce may not arrive at your table. The service has a bare minimum and can go beyond that depending on the circumstances.
Scores
Menu: 5/5
Food Quality: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
Overall this restaurant all considered is pretty good if you are in the market for some Japanese food.
Cloud Architect ($100,000 per year): Cloud computing is the movement of various computer services, like email and presentation programs to the Internet, instead of being in the confines of your computer software. Cloud architects work with companies in securing privacy on cloud networks as well as strategizing how to generate the most value from such networks. (Salary is according to Forbes magazine)
Source: emind
Pro-gamer ($200,000 to $400,000 per year): If your thumbs are addicted to the twiddling of gaming devices, this may be your life’s calling. 11.7 million people (Major League Gaming) tuned into watch 15 million hours of Major League Gaming in 2012. With that kind of working schedule, your gaming dreams may just come true. Despite society’s retorts on the insufficiency of gaming as an occupation, pro-gamers can generate upwards of $200,000 to $400,000 per year (Business Insider), like top gamer Johnathan Wendel (Fatal1ty) from sponsors and various game tournaments.
The highest paid pro gamer, America’s Johnathan Wendel. Retrieved from: Erick Souza
Social Media manager ($34,000 to $57,000 and rising): Do you like to Facebook, Instagram, tweet, and perhaps, retweet (yes, these are not just nouns and are all common verbs of our modernizing world)? Social media managers are responsible for devising the best type of method to promote a certain brand, corporation or individual in social media by using social media networks. The majority of time of these managers are spent on social media networks, maintaining and updating statuses. These specialists can be found in the marketing and the public relations department of companies. (Salary retrieved from Social Fresh).
Retrieved from: Ebony
In the evolving world we live in, technology allows us to do even more everyday. Some of these advancements include advancements in brain imaging technology. Let’s look at some basic ones and what they can do.
Magnetic Imaging:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – This type of imaging technique is used to study the possibility of a disease and its course. There are two different magnetic fields: one that cannot be switched on and off and one that can. The patient lies in in a hollow tube (kind of like the ones in sci-fi movies) where their brain gets scanned.
Position Emission Tomography (PET):
This technique measures blood flow and energy consumption in the brain through measuring the amount of radioactivity of the radioactive decay of positrons. This method can help scientists to keep track of disorders and therapy.
Optical Imaging:
Optical Imaging uses lasers that shoot through the skull of see the activity in the brain. They are portable and reactively safe although not as accurate. This data can then be used to track blood flow and therefore map the activity of the brain.
I think we’ve all heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” While an apple may not necessarily be the thing preventing you from a doctor’s visit, it sure is a great source of vitamin C. Apples are enjoyable and healthy on their own, but sometimes we can indulge in delicious apple fantasies. Here are five ways to eat an apple.
Bake an apple pie: Apple pies are traditional and tasty, and loved by many. Adding sprinkles of cinnamon and some vanilla or even a little bit of lemon zest can make your apple pies delectable. from [http://topfoodfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Apple_Pie.jpg]
Introduce apples to your salad: Adding a touch of fruit not only makes a salad more colourful, but also more flavourful. A few slices of fresh apple will add a touch of sweetness and crispiness to your healthy salad dishes. from [http://img4-1.myrecipes.timeinc.net/i/recipes/sl/03142008/apple-salad-sl-1589419-l.jpg]
Pair an apple with meat: You can use apples in creamy sauces for meat, such as pork chops. Sautéing pork chops in sauce made from apple cider and sage can be an easy and delicious meal. from [http://www.goodlifeeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/5porkchops.jpg]
Apple in a cake: Who doesn’t love a slice of yummy cake? A good match-up would be a coffee cake topped with apples. A little bitter and a little sweet. Of course, there are many ways to make a cake out of apples. from [http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2013-09/enhanced/webdr03/23/11/enhanced-buzz-28122-1379950750-20.jpg]
Drink of apple cider: Have a hot drink of steaming apple cider on a cold day. It’s a soothing way to warm yourself up. Sprinkle on some cinnamon for some extra spice. from [http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/apple-cider-101-1.jpg]
With Family Day in the near past, many families find themselves wondering which restaurant would be a suitable destination for Mother’s or Father’s Day plans. The age old dilemma when it comes to eating out is finding a restaurant that keeps everyone satisfied with their meal, and it is often hard for everyone to agree on a restaurant where they get what they want to eat, especially in larger families or when dining out with extended family. Luckily, many prominent chain restaurants are quite suitable for this purpose; they offer a range of choices so that there is no need for compromise when it comes to meal time.
The Grilled Chicken N’ Bacon sandwich, with delicious tomato basil soup.
One such restaurant is Ricky’s All Day Grill, which offers an extensive breakfast and lunch menu, both until four. For breakfast, Ricky’s offers all the breakfast classics: pancakes, omelets, eggs Benedict, “brekki-bowls,” while lunch selections include salads; soups; burgers and sandwiches; pastas; steaks; pizzas; and other entrees. The dinner menu has many choices included on the lunch menu, along with the addition of fish and a limited selection of “all day breakfast” foods.
The Chorizo Brekki-Bowl
One interesting brunch selection is Ricky’s “Brekki-Bowl”, a dish featuring “breakfast potatoes with sautéed peppers, onions and seasoning, topped with 3 fluffy scrambled eggs, a trio of cheeses, diced fresh tomatoes and green onions, all smothered in ranchero-hollandaise sauce.” The Chorizo Brekki-Bowl came with chorizo sausage mixed in with the rest of the fixings. While the hollandaise was absolutely average, the chorizo sausage was very good, with a hint of spice, but not to the extent to overwhelm the dish. The quantity of chorizo was also impressive considering the size of the dish, and for the price they were not stingy with the meat they provided. That being said, the apparent lack of peppers and vegetables in general was quite disappointing, as it would have not only made the dish more nutritionally sound, but also more flavourful and varied. That being said, the dish was very satisfying, due to the variety of foods combined together in the bowl, and it’s size was perfect, filling without being excessive. The breakfast bowl in itself is an interesting form of breakfast food, one that is not particularly common in the brunch world, besides at Calgary’s Over Easy, which hosts a category on their menu titled “Box’d” which boasts their renounced, “Soul in a Bowl” Poutine. While a noval form of breakfast dining, the breakfast bowl is a hearty meal that boasts a variety of ingredients, certainly a new class of breakfast all together.
A notable choice for lunch are the sandwiches, such as the Grilled Chicken N’ Bacon sandwich,which came loaded with white chicken breast, rather than “beefed up” with unnecessary, and cost reducing, stacks of bread. Soup or salad is offered as a side, and the Signature Tomato Basil soup which was selected was phenomenal. The flavour and spicing was spot on, and as a whole, the soup was almost as good as home-made.
The atmosphere and esthetic appeal of Ricky’s was lacking, their decor was dated and could use some modernizing, but on the whole this made little impact on the dining experience as the food itself was quite enjoyable and the service good.
Overall, Ricky’s was better than one might expect a chain to be, and the dining experience was impressive, compared to the mediocre expectations of excessive cost reduction and copious amounts of salting. While not comparable to gourmet restaurants or independent businesses that offer unique dining experiences, the quality of Ricky’s food was comparable to that of Earl’s, yet cost less.
We’ve all been in situations where we don’t sound quite as, uh, informed as we would like. One of my tricks to make myself sound like I actually know what I’m talking about is to use words that are a) just plain big and fancy-sounding, b) an exaggeration of my point without actually adding to the argument or c) archaic, old or disused words that no one uses or even knows anyone. Most people speak in simple language so even if they know the words that you are employing, you still seem more knowledgable than before. Here are a few of my personal favourites.
Repugnant [ri-pugh-nunt]
Definition: Describing something absolutely disgusting, repulsive or distasteful.
Although on the whole, not a particularly complicated word, its lack of use outside of formal writing puts a real emphasis on a point if you want to emphasize how completely awful something is.
Quintessential [kwin-tuh-sen-shuhl]
Definition: The essential and sometimes stereotypical embodiment of something.
Despite the fact that it’s just a fancy way of describing something expected, typical or even cliché in a certain area, it has a certain oomph in conversation.
Epitome [ih-pit-uh-mee]
Definition: Something which represents a high or exemplary representation of something else.
I’d stay away from this one unless you really want to really hammer in an argument or just sound really dramatic. Drama always makes you sound even a little bit more convincing. Outside of proper context, it sounds like you’re just trying too hard.
Amalgamate [uh-mal-guh-mayt]
Definition: To merge or combine two or more things or entities.
Sometimes you just have those words that you can say again and again in your head that just never stop being funny. This, I declare, is one of them.
Cesspool [ses-pool]
Definition: In the context I like, a metaphorical representation of either an awful situation or somewhere immoral.
Another common yet effective word. I love how it just adds another layer of awful to whatever you happen to be talking about.
Crapulous [krap-yuh-luhs]
Definition: A perfect word to describe how you feel after excessively eating or drinking.
No, I didn’t just make this one up. Delightful, isn’t it? The best part is that the sentiment it expresses is spot-on with how it sounds. Even though it doesn’t exactly sound smart, it’s still a clever word. Or at least I think so.
A vocabulary of interesting words is something that everyone should have, if not for practical use but even for personal amusement. There’s just something inherently nice about being able to throw around a casual “omnipotent” or “anachronism,” right?
Jenny Lin is a Grade 10 student at Sir Winston Churchill High School who was recognized by Kids Up Front and Youth Central as a part of the Pay it Forward project, recognizing youth for their “pay it forward” attitude. She was recognized for her outstanding contribution to the Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) project at her school, Cards for a Cure. She is a beautiful and kind-hearted young girl, inside and out! Lets see what she has to say.
Please tell us a little about the Cards for a Cure YVC project at your school.
Cards for a Cure is a project at SWC that meets every Monday and Tuesday at lunch. We make tons of cards for different occasions which are sold to raise money for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa.
What inspired you to volunteer for the Cards for a Cure project?
I was introduced to this Cards for a Cure project from YVC. Our teacher told us that it benefits a good cause and we could use our creativity too. Since I love putting art together and using my imagination, I decided this was a very good opportunity to help people in need and display my talent.
Where else do you volunteer? Do you participate in any extra-curricular activities?
I volunteer with YVC, so I get to do all kinds of cool projects: Bingo with elders, making sandwiches for the homeless, organizing dresses for less-fortunate girls that don’t have dresses for prom, and much more. Right now, I am employed as a guitar teacher at Music Makers. I also practice violin and am currently getting my ARCT (the Associate of The Royal Conservatory) teacher’s diploma. Whether it be composing music, writing a journal entry, or painting a still life, I enjoy all the arts. Besides the arts, most of my spare time goes to sports. I swim, dance and play rugby. At school, I participate in two clubs. I’m part of the steering committee in Leadership and YVC.
When did you first start volunteering? What inspired you to start?
I started in Grade 7 with a non-profit radio station called CJSW 90.9FM. I helped organize CDs, but labels on new albums, and stamp papers. This radio station was fairly close to my junior high school. Our social studies teacher was a volunteer there, so he decided to bring us on a field trip there one day. This radio station was what inspired me to volunteer more; it’s fun and it makes others happy too.
What advice would you like to give to the youth who are fairly new to this world of volunteering?
Don’t be afraid to try it out: it’s fun, easy, you get to connect with people, feel appreciated, make a difference in other people’s lives, learn new skills, and be aware of what others are like. Even if it’s helping your grandma wash the dishes, that’s a good start.
What does volunteering really mean to you?
Volunteering, to me, means putting others before yourself. Helping someone before your own needs. It’s walking an elderly person across a crosswalk, giving your lunch money to a homeless person, or reading to a blind person. These little acts of kindness are big contributions to making differences to our world.
Do you think you have found your real passion in volunteering? If not, what is your passion?
I have many passions, and volunteering is one of them. I feel happy when I volunteer, and spreading the joy is even better.
What are your plans for the future?
I don’t really know what I want to be when I grow up. I want to go to university, find out what I’m interested in. When I do, I’ll get a job and settle down. On my off time, I would volunteer and have fun, explore the world and do what I love.
What are your future volunteering plans? Any organization that you have in mind? Or an initiative that you want to start?
I want to keep volunteering and being a leader in my community. I want to start projects that get people together and help those in need. I want to inform and get more students to find out the awesome world of volunteering.
Thank You Jennie for this awesome interview. You truly are an inspiration for the youth community. Keep up the good work!!
My series Common Health Problems Among Teens is coming to a close. I was able to touch base on eating disorders, depression, drinking, and the last one, which is drug use. You should check out the previous blog posts in the series if you would like to learn more.
DRUG USE
Many people realize that drugs are very common among teens. It is sad to see a friend or a family member go through this. Also, it is definitely not the right choice for a teen or anyone in general. You may not know why drug use is very common among teens as well as other things, but an example would be teens begin take drugs as a study aid to stay awake during the night. Pharmaceutical drugs are used most often due to fact that it helps have better sex, release stress, and get high. Marijuana is a prevalent drug as well as cocaine in today’s society. Drugs are not only dangerous physically, they also add to emotional issues. The emotional issues are entirely a whole new topic because it is different for each person. Addiction is what scares parents, and friends because it becomes hard to stop after the first try. There does not have to be a first for everything, but teens at times do not relate to that. Teens believe that they have to keep up with what everyone is doing and what is popular today. You have to be aware that addiction is a very serious problem and that you should take all the help you need in order for you to recover. If you are taking drugs please seek help as it is an unhealthy behaviour, and can get out of hand very quickly.
Often a first try is not the last try.Statistics from Australia.Common symptoms of drug use among teens.
