I love it when my favourite beauty gurus make videos based around advice and inspiration. Enjoy this insightful video on being confident!
[youtube d95feTAuQ4I]Top 10 Youth Central volunteers for the month of April
We’ve compiled the hours of Youth Central volunteers for the month and come up with 10 outstanding volunteers! Here are the top 10 volunteers for the month of April 2011.
1. Kevin Yoo – 26 hours
2. David Hall – 13.75 hours
3. Curtis Chat – 9.5 hours
4. Derek Choi – 9 hours
5. Min Jung Kim – 8 hours
6. Jessica Breton – 6.75 hours
7. Maria Jasco – 6.5 hours
8. Elaine McRae – 6.5 hours
9. Adrian Llamoso – 6.5 hours
10. Lucy Ng – 6.25 hours
Important Facebook Privacy Settings!
Hello, hello! If you’ve noticed on any website that contains your personal information, they have an “https://” at the beginning of the url. This means that the website is under a secure network. However, the wonderfully (and awfully) popular Facebook has changed their originally secure network into an open one.
This is ultimately dangerous, as your account can be hacked and Facebook members can be… devastated. So follow these simple steps on how to change your privacy settings:
Under account (right hand corner), click “Account Settings” followed by “Account Security“. Then check the box regarding “Secure Browsing” and you should be all set to go! Oh, and don’t forget to “Save“.
In the meantime, try to remove your Account Activity and if you have time, go under your “Privacy Settings” (again, under your Account), and at the bottom there is an “Apps and Websites” title. Click “Edit your settings” and change/remove all the applications you never use.
Why do I suggest you do that? Because Applications and whatnot have access to your private information. So if you don’t want people stalking you (or doing other things with your information), then I highly suggest to change your settings! And if you haven’t already, change the “Sharing on Facebook” to “Friends Only”. Really, “Friends of Friends” isn’t all that safe, and “Everyone” is just… a silly option to make available. Unless you’re a big business or something, then you shouldn’t be posting your pictures and information where EVERYONE in the world can see it.
In addition to this change, Facebook continues to change privacy settings without alerting anyone. To protect your privacy, continuously check your settings every week or so. Recently, a problem had occurred where clicking “not now” on a friend request allows the person to see what is written on your wall. They’ve also decided to let everyone view your photos! Several of these changes have happened; please, do yourself a favor and change your settings. Start a petition even! Do something, because as Facebook generates more users (and potential stalkers/scary people), your own profile might become public to everyone without your knowledge.
Photo of the Day: Spring at Olympic Plaza
Bring on Spring!
Lessons that Disney Princesses Taught Us
Does the title sound familiar to you? It should! Previously I wrote a Top 10 list regarding about what we learned from the Disney Princesses. Here is an accompanying picture that should be on its own post. Enjoy!
Youth Week Wire Sculpture Jewellery Course
Here are a couple of photos of the jewellery I made during a course for Youth Week! The North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre generously had a free wire sculpture jewellery course on April 29, 2011.
I don’t have pliers at home, oddly. The chain on the guitar-violin thinger is unfinished – I’d like it to be a necklace, but I don’t know when that will happen.
Everything that appears in the photos is organically handmade. =) Including the figure 8’s that make the chain. The hearts just mean I REALLY REALLY love guitar and violin music – probably not at the same time though…
Tech Highlights Week 2: Top 5 Chrome Extensions
Hello all! I’ve decided to create a weekly Tech segment for YAA. For week 2, I present to you my top 5 Google Chrome extensions, once again, speedy-like:
1. Adblock Plus for Google Chrome (Beta)
An absolute must-have extension. It blocks almost all banners, popups, and layer advertisements. It also disables video-ads on YouTube and hides annoying images on any website. It is completely configurable so you can use it to block anything you want (Rick Roll anyone?)
Bubble translate allows you to translate any section of text without leaving your web-page using Google Translate. Simply highlight the text and hit the icon in the menu bar.
3. Better Gmail
If you are a heavy Gmail user like me, this is a must-have extension.
,
Features:
- Remove chat
- Remove invite friend
- Remove ads
- Remove footer
- Remove web search button
- Add highlight row
- Add attachment icons
- Move contacts and taks link to top navigation.
- Make Gmail default email application (open email link with gmail)
- New email notification through a pop up message
This allows you to view more than one web-page on the same window, similar to the half window effect of Windows 7.
5. Stylish
Themes for… everything! (Fb included)
The Philharmonic in Your Library
Have you ever wanted to listen to the awesomeness that is the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, but wasn’t able to see them due to some odd reason? Perhaps you didn’t have extra cash on you at the time of ticket sales, or the performance times were too inconvenient and the location was too far from your house… well, never fear, the library is here!
Okay, that was corny. Mind you, I’m not going into marketing! But I am here to tell you about an awesome opportunity at your local library. The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra will be coming down to several libraries during May and June. They’ve already visited Signal Hill Library back in March, but the next one is at the Shawnessy Library!
Please try to make it; the times are usually at 2 p.m., but if you have a spare (like me, yay!) then you can pop by and listen to wonderful live music… and probably meet the instrumentalists as well!
For more information, visit the Calgary Philharmonic website and the Calgary Public Library website.
Conservatives and Usage Based Billing
So, the Conservatives won a majority in the latest Federal Election. What do you think about it? For me, one of the most troubling things about Harper is that he is willing to let internet companies limit customers’ “usage.”
You know that stupid fee you have to pay on your phone if you want access to the internet? It’s like 10 cents to view a page and plans are ridiculously expensive (unless you find an excellent deal) for data phones? Well, Harper wants to initiate that with the Internet.
Yep, that’s right folks. You’re going to be paying more for the same service (and mind you, it hasn’t gotten better throughout the years) and less internet. WHAT IS THIS?! It’s too late to vote for other parties that supported the Internet, but now that the Conservatives are in complete power, we have to do something.
Do you want Shaw to charge you $1 every time you exceed your download/upload limit? I’ve been checking around and it seems like most of the big companies (Shaw, Telus, Rogers, Bell) are going to charge approximately $30 for 10 GB. I don’t know, I usually paid around the same amount for unlimited access to the internet! This means that you can’t upload videos as often as you’d like without exceeding your limit.
Schools will lose even more funding (the CBE instigated wi-fi in schools for free this year), and they’ll probably have to trash the wi-fi idea. And you know how Eau Claire Market and Starbucks have free wi-fi access? I have strong feelings that this will be impossible for them to maintain.
And the worst part of this is that even small companies (Fido, Koodo, etc.) will have to change their plans and how they bill. Since they basically get the bandwidth from the larger companies (like how Fido is a part of Rogers), they’ll raise their prices.
Do you want this to happen? Then we have to do something! Harper has plans. Lots of them. And he was probably waiting for a majority government to push his ideas that might have lost with the minority government. So we as citizens, have to stand up!
Sign the petition here! The government will eventually have to listen to us; it’s a democracy after all (well, that’s debatable). For more information, visit their Facebook page.
AND DON’T FORGET TO SIGN IT! Spam this to all of your friends. Go ask your teachers to ask the class to do it. If your teachers are really flexible and you’re learning how to write business letters, plead them to do something about this. Write letters to Stephen Harper regarding UBB, or do something drastic! Come on people, we can’t let the government push us around!
P.S. Companies will start this roughly in June-July 2011.
Photo of the Day: We Like to Call Him Crazy
Who says a little craziness isn’t a good thing? 🙂
Poetry: Ever-changing seasons
Everyone knows that the weather around here is absolutely crazy (would you believe it’s spring right now)!? It’s especially noticeable how weather is a mutual thing that binds all former and present day Calgarians together. However, it seems that this year particularly, the weather hasn’t been able to make up its mind and I think we have experienced everything from hail, to snow to thunderstorms and sun in this past week alone. I have noted with much amusement how my friends’ Facebook statuses seem to speak of the same, rhetorical statements against Calgary’s wild weather. In light of all this, here is a fun poem I wrote:
Have you heard of seasonal changes that happen four times a year?
They tell you if summer is coming or if autumn is very near.
Or they may even dismiss winter with a breeze,
and welcome spring with open arms when there is nothing more to freeze.
First let’s begin with autumn, who is introduced in September,
he huffs and puffs all the way through October and November.
If you haven’t met him yet, let me warn you now,
cold is his middle name though you may wonder how.
Next comes winter cold and bitter with a heart of stone,
make sure no matter what you do, don’t confront him alone.
From December all the way till March he lies ever day in wait,
and never saves a single passerby from their frosty fate.
After that comes spring marking a new beginning,
she opens up the flower buds and makes the birds sing.
From April to June she takes charge of the weather,
with this in mind there will only be need of a light sweater.
Finally summer comes (a long awaited visit),
she stays awhile, talks awhile and does her toasty bit.
And when three months later from July, she sadly has to go,
She remarks (with a twinkle in her eye), I’ll be back before you know.
Last thoughts on the election
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It seems the election has finally ended. The results were somewhat surprising. The Conservatives emerged victorious with a majority of 167 seats in the House of Commons. The NDP gained an exceptional 102 seats as well, breaking historic records. The Liberals and the Bloc both collapsed dramatically. The sum of seats for these two parties is only 38.
Just as the election hype is about to die down, it is important to review several things.
First, there are definite promises that the Conservatives made during their campaign run. Now that they have the majority they asked for, it is time for us to make sure the Conservatives keep their word. Their platform can still be accessed here: http://www.conservative.ca/policy/platform_2011/. In addition to creating jobs, supporting families, eliminating the deficit, making streets safer, and developing Canadian defenses, the Conservatives have also promised a long list of minor reforms including Senate reform. The basis of a democracy is an accountable government and we Canadians must hold him accountable for what he promised us. We must regularly review and evaluate the work done by the Conservatives with their majority government.
Photo of the Day: Kokanee Lake
While doing the Kokanee Glacier Hike last summer, which I really recommend. It’s out by Nelson, B.C.
How to study
Now I’m not an expert in education – or much else for that matter – but with the IB exams taking place this month I have been observing interesting differences between my study style and my peers’. A lot of people don’t do as well when it comes to major examinations not because they are lacking in mental faculties, but instead they effort on a studying routine that is inefficient and time-consuming. Though nothing compares to good’old home-style studying, there are certain ways to make preparing for any exam a lot more bearable and effective.
1. Process over memorization
Sure, anyone could remember the date when the London Naval Conferences took place, or the formula for Gibb’s Free Energy in chemistry. But it is a pain trying to memorize hard facts and there is no guarantee that by the test you will remember them all. Instead a better method may be to understand why a event is important by analyzing causes and effects, or understanding the reasoning behind a certain formula. Understanding is always better than memorizing formulas and when it comes time for them to be applied, they can be more easily manipulated to fit your needs.
2. Don’t cram the day before
Face it, if you are awake at 5 a.m. trying to understand buffers, you’re probably not going to make much progress. Stress and sleep deprivation may have the direct opposite effect and you may find yourself with less on the test. If there is something you really don’t understand, then you sure won’t suddenly master it right before the exam. Instead, make sure the things that you can do you grasp with a firm understanding. Make sure you are solid on what you do know.