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.
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a week at home, wrapped up in blankets completely sick. Extremely fun 🙂 Here are five small tips to help you survive the recent bug that’s been going through Calgary.
1) Drink hot liquids
Remedies such as sugared ginger tea help clear the nasal passageways during a cold. Any hot liquid is shown to decrease mucus production and boost body functions. Keep a thermos of tea close by when sick.
2) Boost your immune system
Take Vitamin C and ginseng immediately when feeling sick. Remember to also take Vitamin D to boost Vitamin C absorption. Ginseng extracts such as Cold Fx may also be helpful.
3) Rest up!
Sleep! Getting sick might be your body’s way of telling you those all nighters that you pulled lately were not beneficial to your health. Take this time to catch up on sleep and to become well rested.
4) Deal with the stress
Stress from work, school, relationships etc. may intensify illness durations and severity. Deal with the stress to recover quickly!
5) Limit medication consumption
Try to limit usage of some common medications. Medications such as chemical nasal sprays may offer short term congestion relief, but cause damage to mucus producing cells in the nasal passageway.
I hope everyone takes care and avoids the bug that’s been passing around Calgary lately. Dress warm, sleep well and keep healthy this spring season!
The creativity of youth serving in young offender centres, attending group homes or drop-in centres or general disadvantaged youth is being tapped to give back to the same resources and organizations they are now using.
By designing t-shirts as part of the new “Tees at Risk” program, these at-risk youth find an outlet for their unique artistic expression and also help to drive donations to non-profits that help other troubled or disadvantaged youth.
The Story Behind the Shirt: My name is A. and I was 17 when I drew this picture. I've had some family issues so I don't live at home anymore. I find a real comfort zone when I draw and paint and I hope to one day become a fashion designer. I also enjoy painting with oil and canvas. This drawing was just something I did in my spare time. I hope you enjoy it.
A portion of the sale of each shirt benefits a non-profit that assists youth at risk, such as the National Runaway Switchboard, NY Youth at Risk and the Zula Center. Each shirt benefits a different non-profit that is randomly match with the design.
“Our company’s primary goals are to give current and former at-risk youth a positive outlet for their creativity,” said Ben Wiener with Tees at Risk. “The girl who did our ‘Eye’ design is now 18 and told me she’s planning to pursue a career in fashion design and will use our selection of her artwork as part of her portfolio.”
One cool element is that each shirt has a small QR code as part of the design. Anyone with a data-enabled smartphone can take a picture of the QR symbol on the shirt and instantly access the captivating “story” behind the Tees at Risk design (see photo caption for an example).
While the company just launched in 2010 and only has four t-shirt designs so far, they expect their sales to come from mostly individuals who like the designs rather than just organizations and supporters.
“We want to make shirts that people buy because they are cool and stylish in their own right, not only because of how they were designed,” Wiener said.
To find out more information or to have a look at the Tees at Risk shirts, go to www.teesatrisk.com.
On Friday, I had the chance to go see the movie “Battle Los Angeles” with a couple of friends. This movie was not quite what I expected… but then again, movies are rarely what I expect them to be.
The plot is quite simple; an alien race invades earth for our resources and a group of soldiers are sent into the battlefield to evacuate the civilians before the U.S. military carpet bomb the entire area to rubble. But nothing’s ever that simple.
Like most movies of its type, you have the old veteran soldier (who’s about to retire) and a team of young soldiers. Everything else is like “Saving Private Ryan” meets “Independence Day” all shot “District 9” style.
What I’m trying to say is that this movie was not very original. It offers nothing that I have not seen in an alien movie or in a war film. What it does offer is a blend of the two, with a realistic feel.
Bottom Line: this movie is intense and has some really great fight scenes. But the plot and the acting needs some work. I enjoyed this movie but I didn’t love it. I give it a 7/10.
With St. Patty’s day coming up (Thursday if you guys have forgotten ;D), why not entertain you with some statistics and random St. Patrick Day-related tidbits?!
The Chicago River is dyed green each year for the St Patrick's Day celebration, shown here in 2005.
Lab 42 surveyed 405 social networkers and represented the data in a very creative way!
Google sneaks out street view leprechaun for St. Paddy’s Day.
Doodles on search engines inspired by the green day.
Have you heard of Japan’s catastrophe tsunami (8.9 earthquake) that happened last Friday?
This earthquake is the fifth of major quakes in the world and it came with a tsunami. This earthquake affects not only environmentally but also business, technology and every area of our life.
It destroyed everything in some major cities and impacted almost half of Japan. Victims are increasing and it is now reported that more than a million people are either dead or missing.
"Scheherazade Went on with Her Story". Illustration from "Arabian Nights" by Virginia Frances Sterrett
The magicial tale of Scheherazade, and the collection of her stories from One Thousand and One Nights, captures the exotic and mysterious aura of the Middle East and South Asia.
The story goes that the Sultan Shakriar, fearfully distrustful of the inconstancy of women, had sworn to execute every single one of his wives after the first night of the one thousand and one nights. However, Sultana Scheherazade had saved her own life by entrancing the Sultan, weaving magical tales night after night, for 1001 nights. The Sultan thirst for Scheherazade’s exotic stories had him postpone her death night after night, eventually abandoning his blood thirst. Some of the best known and beloved tales to have come One Thousand and One Nights are “Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp,” “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” and “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.”
Naturally drawn to the exotic and alluring journey to the Arabian lands through the wonderful showpiece of Scherazade, Op. 35, the audience was compelled to travel through the heavily perfumed and bustling streets of Baghdad, wandering past the wares of spice merchants and street stalls, the search for Aladdin’s lamp proving restless. Also, the intensely fiery music and soaring tempo often aroused the images of veiled belly dancers on stage, dancing furiously in no other place than the Sultan’s palace, painted in prestigious imagery by the grand Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. The exploration and destination to the Far Middle East proved to be fruitful in silk and jewels, as the CPO painted a wonderful and bejeweled tapestry of the sounds from the Middle East.
Who knew a reality show about a pawn shop would be so interesting? To clear up some confusion, to pawn means to give up an item as security for a loan, like collateral. But you can also sell items at a pawn shop usually at a super low price so they can resell it for profit. Before watching this television show I had many negative assumptions about pawn stores, I assumed that they were all stingy stores where thieves sold their stolen goods, like a black market sort of deal.
What makes this show interesting, however, is the number of interesting items people bring it to sell. For example people bring in rare baseball cards, rare presidential footage, sunken treasure, etc. The concept of the show is sort of a spin off from the Antique Road Show, where people bring in random items in to be appraised just with a little urban twist. From watching the show you will be able to learn the value of the strangest items, and the history behind them. For all you know, something lying in your garage is worth thousands of dollars and should be in the Smithsonian.
Hello again everyone! Today’s Website of the Day brings you a blog all about cheap, easy recipes to produce a variety of great tasting foods. From European to Indian to Asian, no cooking niche goes unfilled as this regularly updated blog pumps out new recipes on a near daily basis. The site features a comprehensible ingredients list, as well as pictures that help you to make sure you are doing it right. I think it is very important to learn how to cook as soon as possible, because, lets face it, sandwiches and instant noodles tend to get a bit stale after a while. Well actually instant noodles are essentially always stale, so I’m told that they can survive a nuclear apocalypse. Below is an example of a recent recipe featured on the website:
Oat and Raisin Cookies
I’m always trying to think of new things to bake, creations that are easy to take to the library on a daily basis. We also took a day off work today, despite the looming dissertation, and thought we’d bake cookies. Now, chocolate chip cookies are all well and good, but they don’t really have a nice spiciness about them. The cinnamon in this recipe really gives these cookies a good lift, also because they are full of oats they have some health benefits and are really filling. Perfect.
Also, take time to notice my improved photos. All the feedback I’ve had about this blog is that it’s well written, but the photos are pants. So I stole my girlfriend’s camera, remember it is only ok to steal from your girlfriend, and low and behold… good photos. I think…
These cookies will take around half an hour to bake and make roughly 8-10, depending on their size. We made fairly large ones so there weren’t too many. Note that when the photos were taken we were making a double batch.
Being an amateur photographer, I find photography is a wonderful art form, and you don’t need expensive equipment to produce great photos! Here are some tips that can help eliminate those blurry or over exposed pictures, and for creating lasting memories and more clear and concise images.
1. Try steadying the camera by either using a tripod or by using a self timer. The reason for the many blurry and unfocused shots of your friends can be the result of either your subjects moving themselves, but usually, by your shaky hands. Try reducing camera shake by holding the camera steadier, and your camera will produce beautifully focused and properly exposed pictures.
Photo Credit: Lisa Bui
2. Use the rules of thirds. Photos do not always have to be taken with the subjects dead in the centre. In fact, to create some pleasing depth and eye catching perspective, imagine a 3 by 3 grid on your photo, and place your subject at one of these intersecting points. Many cameras should give you the ability to turn on the grid display on your camera. Delight in interesting and dynamic photos when you place your subjects on these points.
Photo Credit: Lisa Bui
3. Focus on detail. Ever heard of closer is better? It’s true! Most photographers feel that they must include every single element in a shot, but this isn’t the case. Focusing on the details actually produces cleaner and crisper photos, as you eliminate the unwanted elements that distract viewers from the central focus of your photo. Defining those details will also give your photos a surprising sense of mystery and wonder, as they will suggest the bigger picture, constructed by the imagination of the viewers.
4. Eliminate distracting elements. This is usually achieved by zooming into your photos. However, also be aware of the unwanted elements that are in the background of your subject that take away the exclusive focus of the photo from your subject. Be prepared and don’t hesitate to move your subject, or yourself, around to take more exciting and expressive photos.
Photo Credit: Lisa Bui
5. Be aware of the light. Early in the morning and early evening are the best times to take photographs, as the light is more soft and flattering at these times. Avoid taking photo in the afternoon, when the sunlight is brightest, as the harsh light can over-expose your photos. If you are near a window sill, have your subject sit or stand near the window sill, to cast a soft and natural light onto their features. Also, try to position yourself having your back, as you take the photos, in front of the sun, as the light will cast a less harsh and more natural light on your subject. Being aware of the best times to take pictures, and taking advantage of natural and flattering light will have your camera capture more radiant and properly exposed pictures.
Firstly, we traveled through Toronto and Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, where we stayed near the famous Copa Cabana beach (but more on that later). Our first full day of Brazil was spent mainly in the Botanical Garden of Rio, which, although I wasn’t expecting it, turned out to be a highlight of the trip.
We had chosen not to travel to the Amazon, and I had been disappointed, but the variety and sheer amount of vegetation and wildlife in the Botanical Garden was enough to make me satisfied. I definitely recommend it to travelers, especially those who will not be seeing the rain forest regions of Brazil, yet still want to experience some of it. If you are interested in seeing new things and checking off, “Saw a Toucan/Venus Fly Trap/______” off of your lifelong bucket list, then seeing the Garden would interest you. Also, photographers, avid gardeners, zoologists, environmentalists, and nature enthusiasts would enjoy this attraction. If you want a relaxing vacation, however, this huge park might not be what you’re looking for. It greatly depends on what you want from your visit to Rio: blissful sun bathing on the beach or the thrill of new sights.
My mother especially fell in love with the House of Orchids, where there was an incredible stock of hundreds of orchids, all professionally cared for. They were lovely, and I took dozens of photos.
According to our Lonely Planet Phrase Book, the word Toucan came from Brazil. With this in mind, I got quite excited when I saw an actual Toucan in the Garden. We chased him through the trees to get a closer photo.
For more info on the Botanical Garden, click here.
The New Science Centre 2011 Project is inviting youth to submit two-and three-dimensional artwork to exhibit in the New Science Centre. Currently, there are three projects available for community involvement:
Project A: Earth & Space Gallery This is Alberta Dioramas in Entryway
The entrance way to the gallery has a community showcase filled dioramas crowned by the phrase, “This is Alberta….” The Telus World of Science hopes the art will inspire
visitors to appreciate the diverse and immense landscape of our province. Once the project is awarded, boxes for the dioramas will be provided. Additional supplies may be
provided if required. This project is recommended for elementary audience, however, all applicants will be considered.
Projects B and C: Human Body Gallery
The Human Body exhibit invites you to learn more about the most fascinating people on earth—your family, your friends, and yourself. Explore ways you are unique, what universal traits you share, and some of the perks and quirks of being human. Face Portraits – photographs or digital images
Sometimes it seems like you can see a person’s entire character in the dimples that form on their cheeks when they smile, or in the worry lines on their foreheads. The Faces Portrait wall highlights these fine details that can express so much. The Faces Portrait wall will include a range of ages, races, and facial expressions as shown in cropped details (not photos of someone’s entire face).
This project is recommended for junior high students, however, all applications will be considered. Attention Portraits – photography, drawings, paintings, small 3-D sculpture
What helps you focus under pressure, or when you’re distracted? It could be an object, a word, or the thought of a person or goal. The Attention Portraits will display images and objects representing things that people use to focus. Each image or object should be accompanied by a description of when it was used to focus attention (for example, before a big race, as a reminder of an important day, or during a difficult task (some women
choose objects to focus on while giving birth, for example)).
This project is recommended for high school students, however, all applications will be considered.
March 23 – Last day to submit a statement of interest
April 1 – Notification of projects being awarded
Mid June – Selection of final pieces to be exhibited
Fall 2011 – artworks to be installed in the New Science Centre
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a week at home, wrapped up in blankets completely sick. Extremely fun 🙂 Here are five small tips to help you survive the recent bug that’s been going through Calgary.
