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How to fall asleep easier (naturally!)

victoria
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0

Is there anything worse than sleepless nights? Who can forget the utter feelings of despair and hopelessness of lying in your bed, checking the clock what feels like every hour only to find that in fact only three minutes have passed, wishing that you will somehow, magically fall asleep. If you can relate to the above, here are six tips and tricks to (hopefully) help you on your quest for a night full of sleep!

1. Try to sleep at the same time each night.

By which I mean, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Your body really likes following a routine and sleeping at erratic times severely messes with your biological clock. What this also means is that sleeping in on weekends is not recommended. Making a habit of procrastinating with homework and then working deep into the night the day before your assignment is due is probably even worse.

2. Listen to music.

This is something I do all the time. It’s a great way to help relax, de-stress and calm yourself down after a busy day. Furthermore, it’s supported by research. Obviously, listening to soft, calming music is ideal for this, as opposed to, say, listening to screamo. I find that listening to classical music or soft piano ballads helps the most for me. If you decide to use your iPod for this, make sure to watch out for your earphones, as the cords could pose a safety hazard.

3. Consider the position in which you sleep.

Surprisingly, this makes a huge difference as to the quality of sleep that you experience. This website might give some helpful advice as to which position is ideal for you. I also find that it’s useful to level your body while sleeping. This means choosing a pillow that can support your neck while not lifting it too high or tilting it too low.

4. Avoid electronics before bed.

I try to turn off my computer at least half an hour before going to bed. Looks like the bright light from electronic devices could keep your brain in a simulated state instead of the sleepy state that you want it in. After all, light=sunshine=daytime, possibly making your brain less likely to want to fall asleep. That means that taking your shiny iPad or PSP to bed is probably not the greatest idea.

5. Watch what you eat.

This includes fairly obvious, self-explanatory advice like avoiding coffee or Red Bull right before bed. It’s also generally a bad idea to fall asleep on a full stomach. Lots of food in your stomach activates your digestion system, meanings that your body is being active and not really resting. Instead, eat large dinners earlier and save a light snack for just before bed. Personally, I find a warm glass of milk the perfect bedtime snack!

6. Relax!

The truth is, thinking super complicated thoughts at bedtime is not exactly likely to help you fall asleep. What’s even less likely to help is thinking super complicated thoughts about how stressful your lack of sleep is. Instead, lie down, clear your mind, and focus solely on breathing deeply. Once your body is in a sufficient of rest, you’ll be falling asleep in no time!

Poem: the beauty of nature

sheliza
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The wind blows,

As the clouds had arose.

Rain pouring down,

Upon the beautiful town.

Birds hiding in the trees,

Everywhere drifting leaves.

The lightning is coming,

While it hits with heavy striking.

The lightning had then stop,

And I look up to see a drop.

Then comes a rush of hail.

It was constant and wouldn’t fail.

After about an hour,

The sun was shone above the tower.

It was a beautiful sight,

And near was a rainbow light.

The butterflies had come about,

And roosters began to shout.

Bumblebees began making honey,

While the surrounding environment made me feel quite sunny.

Blue jays would come and make their nest,

So their little ones could have some rest.

Eagles flew by fast,

While not even waiting for the last.

Nature has its own meaning,

Just like the Humming Birds singing.

You never know what to seek,

Which is why nature is so unique.

 

SOPA & PIPA: Explained in four paragraphs

Kat
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1

Author’s note: Is there any topic that you would like to see covered in four paragraphs? Leave it in the comments below and maybe I’ll cover it in a later blog.

Update: Lamar Smith, the chief sponsor of SOPA, said on Friday that he is pulling the bill “until there is wider agreement on a solution.” Victory!

On Jan 18, many of our favourite sites such as Wikipedia, StumbleUpon, and Reddit “blacked out” in protest of SOPA and PIPA, but what are these bills, exactly? Well, here’s a four paragraph explanation. In late October, one of the representatives from the United States House of Representatives introduced H.R 3261, better known as Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The goal of this bill and its sponsors is to stop copyright infringement (is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder’s exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work), online piracy, and rogue websites selling medication that is altered or misbranded (or without a prescription). The bill would achieve this through a variety of actions. First, it would give the attorney general the ability to seek orders against “US-directed foreign Internet sites” who are committing or facilitating online piracy. These court orders would require the owner or operator of said sites to cease and desist any activities that constitute copyright infringement, recordings of musical performances or exhibited motion pictures, or counterfeit labels/goods/services. Additionally, the bill requires online service providers, search engines, payment providers such as Paypal, and advertising services to carry out “preventative measures” against these sites upon receiving a copy of the Attorney General requested court order. These websites would be required to withhold their services or block users located in the United States from accessing the infringing site. At the same time, SOPA would offer immunity from liability for these search engines, payment providers, etc if they voluntarily block access to such sites. Thus creating a two-tier system.

If that’s not enough, then this bill is going to expand criminal copyright infringement offenses and also penalties for intellectual property offenses. What it means for the internet as we know it? It blocks ideas, information, conversations and people. The internet would become diminished for all of us. The bill seems to be aimed at piracy websites and the weird websites trying to sell you weird pills, it could have a far reaching and lasting negative impact on the internet as a whole. All web-related business would definitely suffer, along with social media outlets and users who upload copyrighted content could be subjected to even harsher criminal punishment than they are now. Free and open source software projects would be shut down. Furthermore, technology experts have expressed worry that this bill could potentially harm the infrastructure of the Internet itself. Internet security and privacy would be compromised. Supporters of this bill claim that the legislation will protect content creators and intellectual property, but at what cost? This bill is widely viewed as the first step towards online censorship by the US government.

If SOPA was not bad enough, there is also the Protect IP Act (PIPA) which is, simply put, the Senate’s version of SOPA.  There isn’t much of a difference, except that PIPA is currently being considered in the Senate (upper house of legislature) and SOPA is in the House of Representatives (lower house). A bill must be passed by both of the houses before it is sent to the President to be made into law. Normally, one bill is written by one chamber of legislature (House or Senate), then passed by that chamber, then sent to the other chamber to be passed as well. However, in this case, what we have here are two independently written pieces of legislation that are more or less the same thing. So what happens in this case is that each chamber must pass its own version of the bill first, and then both bills are sent to what’s called a Conference Committee where two versions are merged into one piece of legislation. That bill then has to go back to both chambers to be passed again. So once both chambers of legislature agree on the wording of the bill and then pass it, it’s given to the president to be made into law. PIPA also wants to remove foreign sites from the internet so that Americans can’t get there; that means there will be some kind of country-wide internet firewall.

First off, we must ask ourselves: are we willing to begin going down that road? Are we willing to live in a world without sites like Facebook, Wikipedia, Ebay or YouTube? Do we want to lived in a world that takes steps backwards in the realms of free and flowing information, or will this managed to be stopped and we will continue to move forward? At the end of the day, as Canadians we’re not free from the effects that this bill will have if passed. First off, in the eyes of the U.S law, websites with domain names ending in .com (such as youthareawesome.com), .net and .org are treated as American domestic domain names, regardless of where the owner is based. Secondly, millions of Canadians rely on the legitimate sites that are affected by the bill. Whether creating a Wikipedia entry, posting a comment on Reddit, or running a WordPress blog, any site that is part of the internet is a direct target of SOPA. If Canadians remain silent, they many end up finding sites and services that they rely upon being silenced. That in mind, many political speculators in Canada are saying that if this gets passed in the United States we’ll see it also see a similar version being passed in Canada. How can you help stop this from being passed? Spread word about SOPA to everyone you know. Use sites like Facebook and Twitter to spread awareness! Get in touch with organizations, web sites and people who are opposing and working to combat this dangerous legislation. If you even spread this blog post, you’re already spreading knowledge and awareness about this dangerous legislation. Stay vigilant about protecting a truly free internet, because otherwise the internet will be a worse off place for everyone.

Picture(s) of the Day – Schizophrenia

ali
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Source: Darryl Cunningham – Tall Guy Writes

I felt like this was important to post given the stigma commonly associated with people who have mental conditions. The more we understand about them, the more we can try to help.

1 schizophrenia

2 schizophrenia

3 schizophrenia 3

4 schizophenia

5 schizophrenia

6 schizophrenia

7 schizophrenia

8 schizophrenia

9 schizophrenia

schizophrenia 10

11 schizophrenia

Video of the Day: Sugar Plum Fairy on the Glass Harp

sarena
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Amazing! I think Tchaikovsky was meant to be played on the glass harp.

[youtube QdoTdG_VNV4]

SOPA and PIPA? NOPE-A.

admin
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It’s been all over the news and it’s been especially big on the internet. I see resistance to SOPA and PIPA in social media, and other places on the internet that share information. I don’t like SOPA and PIPA either. Yay.

What exactly is SOPA and PIPA?
Well, m’dears, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was a bill introduced into the United States Congress earlier in October 2011. The PROTECT IP Act/PIPA (cute-sounding, eh?) OR, the mouthful  –> Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 is just a counterpart of SOPA that was introduced to the United States Senate.

Together, these two bills aim to fight online copyright infringement, particularly through foreign websites.The issue of online piracy has always been an issue with media companies. They’ve persisted in suing individual users, tried to shut down internet service providers, and worked with the government to close down domains. However, that’s had little effect on the ongoing copyright infringements. Originally, if the bill passed, the U.S. Department of Justice could require internet service providers to block the domain names of infringing sites. For example, if Wikipedia had an article that linked to copyrighted material on any site, then SOPA and PIPA could potentially close Wikipedia down (NOOOOOOOOOO).

Basically, the head honchos of big corporations don’t like people stealing their stuff, so the US Senate with PIPA and the US Congress with SOPA are going to battle piracy with a whole boatload of restrictions on internet activity.

Who’s Against This?
Me and probably anyone else that uses the internet to a great extent for homework or entertainment, so you too. But don’t get me wrong, stealing and piracy is bad… I’m not saying that people should go on a rampage and download music, movies, and games. We should be respectful of people’s hard work that went into making these things. I’m just saying that the US’ actions are way to excessive for dealing with this.

I honestly don’t care who’s in support of this bill. I don’t think people in the House of Representatives or Senate realize the extent of their decisions on the free flow of information. Viral videos on YouTube would technically have to be taken down and poor Ray William Johnson would have to shut down his channel. Those videos of cute kitties doing cute things will be taken down. And oh man, If I can’t get my quick information right off of Wikipedia in a last minute effort to finish a project, I will be so mad. I know my Tumblr friends would be sad pandas because SOPA probably would’ve annihilated the spread of information on there, no notes, no re-blogging, nope. There’s all this talk about how the internet is free place for people to learn and accumulate knowledge, yeh–no. Not after this bill, it won’t be. It’s crazy bread…the US Constitution is such a big advocator for free speech and expression and now they choose to implement this bill? This is censorship at its finest — basically, they’re pulling a Communist China on us.

So back to what I was saying. Who is against this? Well here are a few prominent organizations that want to stomp on this bill:

  • Google blacked out its logo and posted a message on its home page that said “Tell Congress: Please don’t censor the Web!”
  • “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge” came from Wikipedia which closed down for 24 hours with a blacked out logo
  • 4chan
  • Craigslist
  • Tumblr
  • WordPress (the site that supports Youth Are Awesome’s blog page O_o…things just got more serious)
  • Mozilla
  • Flickr
  • reddit
  • Vimeo
  • FailBlog
  • MineCraft
  • The Oatmeal (They’ve set up their own funny way to oppose SOPA/PIPA, I’m pretty sure it’s only intended for a mature audience so shield your eyes, younglings. But big kiddies, here y’arr)
  • A whole bunch more, check them out here. The list doesn’t end…
  • Also, if you want to join the strike or check it out, go to http://sopastrike.com/.

Anyways, my fingers are sore and I seriously don’t want this bill to go through, seeing as I’m not ready to quit the internet at all. However, it might be a possibility, “On Jan 17, SOPA’s sponsor said the bill will be discussed in early February. There are signs PIPA may be debated on the Senate floor next week.” <– Straight from Wikipedia. What would we do without it? -emotional moment-.

How to keep your New Year’s Resolutions

Celly
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Now that we’re halfway through the first month of the first year, where are our resolutions now?

When it gets to a certain point,we realize we’re just using recycled versions of our old resolutions. They may not always turn out the way we want them to, but at least they help when they’re there! Here are some tips to keep the resolution train running:

-Post a picture of your goal! What really keeps you on the ball is motivation, and a visual just may do that. If you want a dog, but you need to keep your room clean to do it? Post a picture of your favorite dog breed on your wall, and every time you’re starting to give up, refill yourself with hope and motivation.

-Reward yourself. Everytime you reach a goal, give yourself a treat. If you’re on a diet? Have a cookie. Being a better citizen? See a movie! These little pick-me-ups can go a long way on the road to success.

-Allow slip-ups. At the start, it may be unbearably hard to keep up your resolutions, but just because you slip up once, don’t beat yourself up about it. Don’t make it a habit, that’s for sure, but allow a little leeway.

So, how are your resolutions going? Keep going, and keep trying. It’s never to late to reach for the stars!

Store of the Day: Levi’s

Juliet
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0

I’m not lying when I say that buying denim from Levi’s really changed my entire perspective towards jean-shopping. Their jeggings are amazing. I’m not even kidding. When I tried on a pair when shopping during winter break and it was like heaven opened up and God himself proclaimed: “thou shalt buy these.” The fabric was nice and thick and the fit was perfect. Yes, I know that everyone’s requirements for jeans are different, but keep in mind that these are jeggings. Jeggings are more forgiving with regards to fit than regular jeans as they generally have a higher spandex content, allowing for more flexibility in the fabric to suit a wider range of body types. In addition, for those of you who are sick of ultra-low rise jeans, these jeggings fall just below the bellybutton, streamlining your hip and waist area. As if that weren’t enough, you can’t even tell the difference between them and normal skinny jeans because Levi’s jeggings are not just some glorified version of a legging with a denim print. In short: try them, you won’t regret it.

Price-wise, Levi’s is a bit more expensive than the usual high-school shopper’s budget (the pair I bought was around $70). However, I must point out that being a smart shopper means knowing when to save and when to splurge; now, I have realized that jeans are definitely a splurge item. I used to put jeans in the “save” category, and as a result, I have had more than my fair share of ill-fitting and bad quality jeans. I didn’t think much of it then, but now, after having tried the denim from Levi’s, I never want to go back to wearing my old jeans. So, if you’re like me and your “save” mentality frequently trumps your “splurge” mentality, convince yourself that jeans are definitely worth the extra cash! Save a little on the makeup, or think twice before you buy that pair of purple flats that only goes with one outfit in your closet. Don’t sell yourself cheap when it comes to jeans!

Video of the Day: There is no perfect father

MJ
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Often, we forget what a blessing is it that we still have family members around us. Children often ignore what the parents do for them on a daily basis, and too many times they take what they have for granted. Parents have brought their children into the world, fed them, gave them water, provided them with clothes, roofs over their heads and even scolded the children for their benefit. We forget that meeting such basic needs are harder than they seem. Watch the following brief video that tells a quick story about a girl and her deaf-mute father. You may find that the ending of the video ruins the mood of the video that followed it, but remember that the moral of the story stays true.

[youtube B2MDEy2f048]

All fathers have a thing or two that upsets their children, but at the end of the day, most fathers love their children unconditionally.

The zen in you

Sarah
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0

As the new year begins to settle in and peoples’ new years resolutions start to take action, why not learn more about yourself. People always seem to be constantly interested in why they act the way they do, or reading horoscopes to explain the events that take place during over the years.

Here is a website to see your 2012 horoscope.

Over Christmas and exam break I have had a lot of time to do things that I usually don’t have time for, such as using StumbleUpon. Through StumbleUpon, I found a cool site that is called VisualDNA, which conducts a personality test. It only takes about found minutes to complete, and gives some intuitive information about oneself to start off the new year well and knowledgeable.

“All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.” ~ James Thurber

On YouTube I came across a one minute personality test:

World’s Quickest Personality Test

So as people begin to become more aware of what makes them who they are people will learn to discover the sources of their own happiness and ambitions. It is a source for people to discover themselves.

How to submit a Youth Week event

vicky
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Youth Week 2011: Youth Block Party
Youth Week 2011: Youth Block Party

As many of you may have noticed, there has been significant talk on this blog lately about Youth Week. And what is Youth Week, you ask? Well, it’s an entire week (April 21-28, 2012) devoted to promoting the importance of youth in Calgary. But it’s not just all whimsical talk; there will be over 50 amazing events across the city, including everything from sports competitions to plays– and not to mention piles of prizes! What makes Youth Week so great is the involvement of youth, and, of course, the opportunity for them to be involved through these events.

Youth Week 2011: Wire Sculpture Jewellery Course at North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre

What you may not know, however, is that Youth Week events can be anything. Any event, pre-existing or not, that occurs from April 21 to 28 can count as a Youth Week event. This includes youth nights at community centres, school productions and events, and virtually anything else that youth would be interested in. The events can be open to the public or more private (last year my school held games and competitions every day at lunch during Youth Week), and yes, they really can be anything! So, if you’re looking for an opportunity to be involved in the most awesome week of the year, why not submit an event for Youth Week?

All that you have to do to submit a Youth Week event is submit a simple application form and have your event follow these guidelines:

  • an absence of drugs/alcohol
  • appropriate for ages 12-18
  • free or reasonably cheap
  • aligning with the mission and values of Youth Central
Youth Week 2011: Youth Volunteer Corps South sandwich-making for the Mustard Seed

Even if you’re in school and think that you can’t pull together a Youth Week event, it can happen! Here are some event ideas:

  • sports competition
  • bake sale
  • “drive-in” movie
  • talent show
  • auction
  • video game competition

You can check out Youth Central’s website for more information on events that you could put on in your own school.

If you have an idea or would like to submit an event for Youth Week, I strongly encourage you to fill out an application. Help Youth Week be the best that it can be, and prove that youth really do hold a significant role in our community! More information on Youth Week events can be found at youthcentral.com/youthweek, and already-happening Youth Week events (as well as other events around the city) can be found at Youth Are Awesome’s event page.

Pointless policies and unlawfully unusual laws

lucy
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Really? I can’t flush my toilet after 10 p.m. in Switzerland? The world has some crazy laws…

  • In New York, jumping off a building gets the death penalty. (…will one survive jumping off a building?)
  • In France, it is illegal to sell dolls without human faces. Bye-bye E.T!
  • In North Carolina, elephants cannot plow cotton fields – specifically cotton fields.
  • In Illinois, giving a cigar that is still lighted to your pet is illegal. Not that you should give it an unlighted cigar either.
  • In Atlanta, Georgia, one must not tie a giraffe to a telephone pole. Is the giraffe going to eat the lines or something?
  • In Alabama, it is forbidden to wear a fake mustache in front of a church, in case it could cause spontaneous laughter.
Animal cruelty!
  • In Providence, Rhode Island, you can’t buy a toothbrush on Sunday, but you can buy mouthwash and toothpaste. Dental hygiene!
  • In South Carolina, it’s legal to beat your wife on court house steps on Sunday. (But it’s illegal to beat her elsewhere?)
  • In England, if you place a stamp of the Queen upside down, it is considered treason.
  • In Italy, obese individuals cannot wear polyester. So offensive!
  • In Victoria, Australia, the wearing of hot pink pants after mid-day on Sunday is prohibited.
I don't think hot pink pants should be legal... TOO BLINDING
  • In San Francisco, using underwear at a car wash isn’t just gross – it’s illegal.
  • In Florida, men seen in public wearing a strapless gown can be fined. Talk about restriction of questionable fashion!
  • In Samoa, a husband can’t forget his wife’s birthday. Yay?
  • In Britain, if a dead whale sweeps up on the shores of any beach, the king automatically receives the head, and the queen, the tail.
  • In Singapore, chewing gum is illegal.
  • In France, farmers may not name their pigs Napoleon. Ever heard of Animal Farm? Napoleon might overthrow you… so beware pig-owners.
Napoleon...A cruel dictator indeed!
  • In Massachusetts, tomatoes may not touch clam chowder.
  • In Ohio, you cannot get a fish drunk.
  • In South Korea, traffic officers must report all bribes they have received from motorists.
  • In California, it is forbidden to hunt animals from a moving vehicle. Except whales. Now where am I going to find a whale…
  • In Alaska, you cannot wake a bear to take its photograph. However, it is legal to hunt it.
  • In London, England, rabid dogs and corpses cannot be carried on city taxis. Now you know there isn’t a rotting corpse in the trunk of your ride!

To me, it seems like the United States just has a lot more crazy laws than the rest of the world. Those “crazy” Americans!

Check out more weird regulations at this site. Happy reading!

Photo of the Day: Keep Scrolling

cathy
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Good Luck on your Exams!

Watch the wonders of the natural world!

lisa aka "Mangomaru"
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The Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts is presenting National Geographic LIVE! This event showcases fascinating and incredible speakers- National Geographic explorers, adventurers, photographers and scientists that have their journeys captured. Breath-taking and beautiful images and videos will allow YOU to become enveloped into our amazing and natural world, as each speaker shares their National Geographic experience with the audience.

Experience pure exhilaration now by discovering what each speaker has shared with the world!

January 17: Ocean Soul with Brian Skerry

Voyage deep into and across oceans with brilliant photographer Brian Skerry! His magnificent and exhilarating journey explores the hidden world under the foamy waves. His pictures story telling of the mysteries of inky depths. His feature photography brings you up close and personal with animals that live in extreme conditions-beneath Arctic ice or in predator-infested waters- Skerry’s incredible skill allows him to be able capture these incredible deep sea creatures with such imitate detail. National Geographic Books will publish Ocean Soul, his photography taking his readers across the vast beauty of the glacial waters of the North Atlantic to the central Pacific.

 

February 7: Deep Ancestry with Spencer Wells

Photograph: David Evans

An epic journey of enormousness proportions, take an riveting journey retracing humanity’s first steps from Africa, to the people of Asia, Europe, and Americas. Spencer Wells has led a team of scientist to take thousands of DNA samples to explore and create an intricate and genetically-based map on human migration and answers some of life’s biggest questions: where did we come from, and how did we get here today?

 

March 13: A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel with Annie Griffiths

An amazing National Geographic photographer, this speaker’s series showcases a true pioneer of international travel, all thewhile with two kids to places such as the ruins of Petra or the Galápagos Islands. Being a mother didn’t slow down her career and Annie Griffith empowers women to pursue their passions.

Photograph:Mattias Klum

 

April 25: On expedition with Mattias Klum

An awe-inspiring natural history photographer will guide you through a wondrous and breath taking perspective of some of the natural wonders of the world- “he Okavango Delta, Iceland’s glaciers and the rainforests of Southeast Asia.” It is through Klum’s documentary storytelling of our planet’s diversity that had earned him a medal from the King of Sweden, his dynamic photography and heartfelt story telling echoes an encouraging message of hope- to lessen our footprint and consider the future legacy we will we leave behind.

Tickets are available here.

Student programs are available! Tickets for matinees are only $10 for students! Visit this website to learn about the exciting opportunities for cross curricular connections, to register, and for more information!

Video of the Day: Study Hard Anthem

sunny
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EXAM TIME.

Here’s the official theme song of a high-schooler’s January (inspired by late-night cramming and LMFAO):

Study hard and good luck!

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