Nelson Mandela/ In My Mother's Arms/ Mealshare

Dec. 7 Nelson Mandela: He has passed away at the age of 95 yrs old on Dec. 5, 2013.  Well he did live a very long life.  He inspired a lot of people.  On Dec. 6, 2013, there was a quote of him in the Metro: “For to be free is to not merely cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”  I’m going to put that in my inspirational quotes.

I read about it on Yahoo:

http://ca.movies.yahoo.com/blogs/wide-screen/nelson-mandela-death-rocks-royal-film-premiere-in-london-002534108.html

Good tips: I was reading in the Metro on Dec. 5, 2013: “Ann Arbor News reports that in Sept. a $3000 US tip was left for a $87.98 US bill, and $7000 US for a $200 US bill.”  It was on Instagram using the “tipsforjesus” name.

City litter: On Dec. 5, 2013, I read in the Metro that the waste on the Edmonton streets decreased by 40% since 2009.  That’s good.

Singing Christmas Tree Foundation: I read in the Metro on Dec. 5, 2013 that this charity got 20,000 pounds of food to be delivered to families in need.  They donated $50,000 to the Food Bank and it helps 20,000 residents each month.  The foundation also donated $50,000 to Santa’s Anonymous to provide Christmas gifts to kids in need.

How to be a fundraiser: By typing about the above news, I thought “How to be a fundraiser” as a career.

Mixed Bag Designs: I did find this website about selling reusable bags.  The website looks really good:

“We offer flexible fundraiser profit programs (including up to 50% profit!) that can be tailored to your fundraiser needs.

Boost sales by inviting friends and family to shop our online store. Fundraisers receive 40% from all online purchases and they can shop online even after the catalog sale is over!”

http://fundraiser.mixedbagdesigns.com/?gclid=COXsiLSwn7sCFc9sfgodYmIA0A

Fundraising Authority: This looks like a good website too.  There is a “Basics” part to it.  There is fundraising on the internet, how to write a successful fundraising plan, how to fund raise by mail, etc.

http://www.thefundraisingauthority.com/fundraising-basics/

http://www.thefundraisingauthority.com/about/

In My Mother’s Arms: I found this movie review called “How much does one boy’s life matter?” about the movie In My Mother’s Arms.  The reviewer is Liam Lacey and it was in the Globe and Mail on Aug. 31, 2012:

Roughly-made but illuminating, the Iraq documentary In My Mother’s Arms is a brief immersion into life in a Baghdad boys’ orphanage. The sibling team of Atea Al Daradji and Mohamed Al Dardji, made the film after being contacted by Husham, a thirty-something man seeking a donation for his orphanage, in which he houses 32 boys in a rented two-bedroom house.

Instead, they filmmakers decided to film him. The orphanage is in Sadr City, the poor embattled Baghdad suburb that has been a centre of violence since the 2003 American invasion. The opening shot sees Husham riding in the passenger seat of a car while a radio broadcast provides the context. The war has created a crisis in orphans in Iraq and the orphanage relies entirely on private donations and volunteer help. Many of the children end up being recruited by criminals or terrorist groups; others are victims of violence and sexual abuse in a handful of state-run institutions.

A moment later, the car pulls over and Husham gets out and walks under an overpass where he meets a couple of boys who say they have been living on the streets for the past three years. He invites them to come live at his home where they can get clean, eat and be with children their own age. Though he can’t help reaching out to more kids, he’s already stretched to his limit. Along with six volunteer care-givers, he feeds and dresses the kids, takes them to school and works the rest of the time trying to raise funds.

Three boys are of particular concern because of the traumas they have suffered: Saif, a 7-year-old Kurdish boy who is a chronic fighter; Mohamed, who excels as a competitive diver but performs poorly in school; and Sallah, a ten-year-old who does not speak or attend school. A doctor brusquely suggests the boys need more of a family atmosphere.

The film follows Husham’s struggles with the system: a cold shoulder from the ministry of social services; a friend with psychological training who says he can’t work for the the orphanage’s meager salary, and a Sunni organization that offers faint hope of financial assistance. To add to the troubles, Husham gets an eviction notice and is forced to seek a new location.

The film’s title comes from a song, and an unabashedly pity-inducing play the boys stage to help raise funds. Scenes occasionally feel staged, though the day-to-day reality of the children’s lives are dramatic enough: Between the usual games, squabbles, TV shows and homework, they live in a world of wall-rocking explosions, power blackouts and constant television reports of nearby bombings and the deaths of other children in their neighbourhood. Helicopters whirl overhead and America troop carriers rumble through the streets.

Occasionally, the camera cuts away to street scenes, where other boys and girls emerge from the roadside at stoplights, approaching cars for food and money. Husham’s struggles to make a handful of boys’ lives tolerable is heroic though it would be misleading to call the film inspiring: The best he can hope for is to exempt a few children from a generational tragedy.

My 2013 opinion: That’s sad to hear, but I was like: “Donate to Unicef.  They help children in 3^rd world countries.”  I then thought about how I saw something like this on BBC news.  I looked it up on my blog, and it lead to this post called “job search/ child labor/ charity.”  It did talk about kids working in glass factories.  It also mentioned this:

“However, the factory does let the boys leave for a few hours a day to go to this place run by Unicef. The place is for kids to have a free lunch, take a shower, play games, just simply be a kid. So please donate to Unicef, because it's a good charity.”

http://badcb.blogspot.ca/2011/10/job-search-child-labor-charity.html

Help the homeless: On Nov. 22, 2013, in the Edmonton Journal, Marta Gold writes about how Urban Barn has launched “Blanket the Country in Warmth.”  Customers donate $5 and the company gives new fleece blankets to homeless shelters.

Mealshare: On Nov. 21, 2013, I read in Metro “Buy 1, give 1 meal program enlists more restaurants” by Lucy Haines.

“Mealshare is the brainchild of 23 yr old Jeremy Bryant and his cousin Andrew Hall, two business- school grads who wanted to find more meaning in their work.”

“Choose a Mealshre-branded menu item from you favorite local, independent restaurant, and a meal will be donated to someone in need.  Culina Muttart, Noorish Café and Creole Envie were first on board, and this month three more local restaurants joining in: Blue Plate Diner, Tiramisu Bistro and Niche.”

 The meals go to Hope Mission and they have received 350 donated meals since July 2013.

http://www.mealshare.ca/#restaurants

Stuff a Bus campaign: On Nov. 21, 2013, I read in Metro, “Food for the Festive season” by Lucy Haines. It’s where you stuff an ETS bus full of food.  Edmonton’s Food Bank also works with the Crystal Kids Youth Centre and they serve 24,000 meals a year to kids from 6-17 yrs old.

Children’s hospital: On Nov. 21, 2013, I saw in Metro Edmonton Oilers Captain Andrew Ference signs a photo for Dante Miguel, 4 at the Stollery Children’s hospital.

Act Now: Indigenous rights threatened by resource development in Canada and abroad

I got this from Amnesty International:

 https://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/site/c.6oJCLQPAJiJUG/b.8252277/k.932D/Thank_You_for_Taking_Action/apps/ka/sd/donorcustom.asp?kntaw48281=17ED36A8E37A4C80A991704FF1B9F544

Speak Out for Indigenous Rights on International Human Rights Day       Pledge to Write for Rights in solidarity with the human rights of Indigenous Peoples Dear human rights activist, You recently signed Amnesty International’s online petition on the right of Indigenous peoples to make their own decisions about resource development on their lands. Thank you for speaking out on this crucial issue. Together, we have sent more than 6000 messages to Prime Minister Stephen Harper urging Canada to fully incorporate the internationally-established right of free, prior and informed consent in all laws, policies, and practices related to extractive industries at home and abroad. Now this message is about to get a big boost. I’m pleased  to let you know that this action is being prominently featured in Amnesty International Canada’s annual Write-for-Rights letter-writing marathon, as part of a slate of crucial cases on Indigenous rights and corporate accountability at home and abroad. Write-for-Rights is Amnesty International’s largest event of year. Every year on December 10th, activists across Canada join with their counterparts in more than 80 countries around the world, to urge governments to take action on selected high-priority concerns. This year, our Write-for-Rights campaign includes appeals on the urgent threats to the very survival of Indigenous peoples in Colombia, an appeal for increased accountability for Canadian companies operating abroad, and a letter-writing action similar the online action you signed. See appeals. For your interest and action, we also have a new appeal concerning a proposed mine found to risk severe harm to the culture of Tsilhqot’in people in central British Columbia. I hope that you will consider signing up to take part in this year’s Write-for-Rights, whether as an individual letter-writer or as part of a larger group in your community. And please do help us spread the word by encouraging your friends and colleagues to also take action. Canada is a the centre of a global rush for resources. It is crucial that Canada also have a strong voice defending the basic principle that development should respect -- and not trample -- human rights. Sincerely, Alex Neve Secretary General Amnesty International Canada

Eskinder Nega

I got this from Amnesty International:

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/c.6oJCLQPAJiJUG/b.8861611/k.8DD6/Eskinder_Nega/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?msource=W1312EAIAR1&kntaw48281=17ED36A8E37A4C80A991704FF1B9F544

You won't believe why he's in prison Eskinder Nega is a peaceful, vocal critic of his government's policies and actions. His conviction on trumped-up terrorism charges is nothing more than the government's attempt to stamp out criticism. Join us now in fighting for Eskinder's release. Dear Tracy, Imagine being imprisoned for voicing a New Year's Eve wish for peace and democracy. That was one of the reasons Ethiopian authorities sentenced iconic dissident journalist Eskinder Nega to 18-years in prison on charges of terrorism and treason. Free speech is not a crime - it's a human right. Help us defend it. Join Amnesty in calling for Eskinder Nega's immediate and unconditional release. Eskinder is one of 10 urgent human rights cases highlighted in Amnesty International's 2013 Write for Rights campaign, the world's largest and most effective letter-writing event. Every day that Eskinder and other journalists remain imprisoned, the dark cloud of oppression in his country grows more menacing. Eskinder and his family have endured arrest and harassment from authorities for years. In 2006 and 2007, Eskinder and his wife, Serkalem Fasil, along with 129 other journalists, opposition politicians and activists, were detained and tried on treason charges in connection with protests following the 2005 election. Serkalem gave birth to their son Nafkot while in prison. Show solidarity with Eskinder and Serkalem - raise your voice to defend theirs. The crackdown on free speech in Ethiopia has intensified since early 2011 - a number of journalists have been imprisoned on trumped-up charges of treason and terrorism while others have fled the country to avoid jail time. Newspapers have been closed down and last year, printers were ordered to remove any content that may be considered illegal by the government. The independent media, and freedom of expression itself, has been dismantled in Ethiopia. Eskinder has been prosecuted at least 8 times for his journalism. His words have done no harm. His writings are a lawful expression of his human rights. Free speech needs more champions today. Be one of them. In solidarity, Jasmine Heiss Campaigner, Individuals and Communities at Risk Amnesty International USA PS - Write for Rights is about writing letters and connecting people who care about human rights. Chances are, there is a Write for Rights event happening near you. You can host your own event (public or private) or attend one in your area - sign up now to Write for Rights!

journalism/ business news/ staffing agency

Nov. 26 Journalism: Today is my day off and as usual I’m productive by looking for a job.  I haven’t been on Linked In in a long time.  I have gotten emails from them about new jobs.  I decided to click on them.  There is one for social media manager.  The requirement is a degree in professional writing, communications, English, or journalism.  This proves that if you are majoring in journalism, you don’t have to just write for the newspaper, you can be a social media manager.

Nov. 27 Business news:

Toronto Star: The newspaper Toronto Star and Harlequin books are owned by Torstar.  Torstar is losing money because ad revenue is down.

Pixar Canada: This was in Oct. 2013, but I will tell you now.  Pixar Canada closes down in Vancouver and lays off 100 people.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/disney-shuts-down-pixar-canada-s-vancouver-studio-1.1958844

Sears: On Oct. 31, 2013, I read that Sears is selling 5 of their locations for $400 million.  Now today I read that they’re laying off 800 people.  The article here: 

http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/sears-canada-deepens-cuts-with-another-800-layoffs-in-repair-parts-and-services-1.1561680

Indigo bookstore: On Nov. 7, 2013, I read that the bookstore sales are decreasing.  Well everybody’s getting Kindles.

Blockbuster: On Nov. 7, 2013, I read that they will close 300 stores and keep 50 of them open in the US.

Nov. 28 Temp: I’ve been reading “Temp” by the author Douglas Copeland.  He has a 20 part short stories in the Metro.  It’s about a young woman named Shannon and her adventures working as a temp.  It has quirky characters.  

On the pages, there are these little business facts:

Generation Wait: On Nov. 15, 2013 I read this in Metro.  I found the longer article about it.
“Burdened with college debt or toiling in low-wage jobs, they are delaying careers, marriage and having children. Waiting anxiously for their lucky break, they are staying put and doubling up with roommates or living with Mom and dad, unable to make long-term plans or commit to buying a home — let alone pay a mortgage. 


"I'm constantly looking for other jobs," says Jeremy Bills, 27, of Nashville, Tenn., who graduated from Vanderbilt University in May 2011 with a master's degree in human and organizational development. Originally from Tampa, Fla., Bills has stayed put in his college town in hopes of finding a job in management consulting or human resources. Instead, he has mostly found odd jobs like pulling weeds and dog-sitting.”

My opinion: In the Metro, the headline said “Sound familiar?”  Yeah.  I wouldn’t say we’re delaying our careers, we are looking for careers.  We are delaying marriage and having children.  If you want to get married, sure you can.  But don’t have kids if you’re in debt. 



http://www.nbcnews.com/business/generation-wait-share-young-adults-who-move-hits-50-year-2D11591053

“80% of jobs are secured via networking.”

On Nov. 18, 2013: “A Statistics Canada study showed that temp workers earn on average 16% less than their permanent peers.”

“Smile like you mean it- 85% of the decision to hire or promote an employee is based on the individual’s attitude.”

Nov. 20, 2013: Workers in temp jobs were 37% less likely to be absent than permanent workers.
Workers who worked there for 1-3 months were 27% less likely to take an absence than those who’ve worked there longer.

Wal-mart: “Federal officials in the US are prepared to file formal complaints against Wal-mart for allegedly violating the legal rights of protesting workers last year.”

“67% of job seekers would accept a lower salary if they company had exceptionally positive reviews online or a lot of positive press (65%).”

Sexting: This belongs in my business email.  On Nov. 1, 2013 in the Metro, Mike Benhaim writes: “Oops.  A teaching assistant at the University of Iowa sent her math students an email saying ‘Hi Class, I attach the solutions for number 76 and 78.’  Instead, she accidentally sent nude pictures of her and a man pleasuring themselves.  The images went viral immediately.”

The lesson is don’t sext.  I remember listening to 91.7 The Bounce radio station and someone called in saying that if you do send a sexy picture of yourself, don’t have your face or head in the picture so you can’t really be identified.

Dec. 2 Customer Service book: My brother bought the book called Customer Service Training 101 by Renee Evenson (2^nd edition.)  It was for school.  He’s done with school so I decided to read it.  The book talks about how to deal with customers through the phone, emails, and face-to-face.  It’s also about effective communication and relationship building.

I would grade this book average.  B-.  It was a fast and easy read, but it didn’t really tell me anything new.  It did give practical advice and tips.

http://www.bullseyepublishing.com/

Inspired: I think the best part of the book was Chapter 10, “Being the Best You Can Be: The Total Package.”  It was inspirational and positive to read about writing down your goals and focusing on them.  Asking questions about: “Am I proud of my efforts?”

I guess I like to read inspirational things.  It’s a little more right-brained.  Most of the book was left-brain practical work.

Dec. 3 Job offers: I did have a few job offers this year.  I did get hired at the Edmonton Elections.  I was then told the job was 8am-9pm.  That’s an 11 hr shift.  She then told me what the day was going to be like.  The voter comes in and you get them to fill out and sign the form.  You direct him to this other table where the ID gets checked.  You direct this person to another table to fill out ballot.

The ballot is then passed onto another person who faxes it.  After she told me about it, I had to think about it.  There was also a 3 hr training session prior to it.  After about a day of thinking, it didn’t appeal to me, so I called them and said I wouldn’t take it.  It’s no major loss or gain by taking or not taking the job.  Yeah, well at least I voted. 

Staffing agency: I did get hired from the staffing agency Trades Labor.  I found the ad on Kijiji, and it didn’t say anything that it was from a staffing agency so I applied to it.  I got a call on Saturday and then I learned that it was Trades Labor.  So I turned it down.

I then thought maybe I should have taken it and start somewhere.  I then looked for confirmation on the internet by typing “staffing agencies are good.”  It did lead me to this link:

http://www.recruiter.com/i/3-myths-about-staffing-agencies/

It discusses that staffing agencies don’t charge fees, they do hire entry and senior level jobs, and it’s not just temporary.  I did a read a Metro article about you use these agencies are good if you are looking for temp work, want to try something new without a big commitment, and if you had taken a leave from work, you can get your feet back into it.

I checked on Lola’s World blog post about her bad experience with them.  There are now 105 comments on it.  There is one comment that is kind of neutral:

At Nov. 6, 2013, Pierre Grima said: 

I am currently working for another staffing agency and as was mentioned earlier, they pay me what I asked and the company I got placed at, pays a fee above that to compensate the staffing agency. Thats how they make their money.
IT Jobs UK

http://thinkinglola.blogspot.ca/2005/08/why-recruitment-agencies-suck.html

From Zine to Bestseller/ Touch/ Stan Lee

From Zine to Bestseller: In Aug. 1, 2010, I cut out this article form the Edmonton Journal.  I like this article because it’s about a writer named Jeff Miller who has been writing since he was a teenager and he gets published.  I have been writing TV scripts since I was 14 yrs old, and I had 2 short stories and a poem published in the Canadian Poetry Institute.  Miller is truly successful.  Read the first paragraph of the article: 

From zine to bestseller

Julie Fortier, Postmedia News

Published: Sunday, August 01 2010

A few weeks ago, the bestseller's list at one of Ottawa's independent bookstores, Collected Works, looked a little off.

1. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Stieg Larsson.
2. Ghost Pine: All Stories True, Jeff Miller.
3. The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson.
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson.

"Yeah I know, it's kind of funny how it turned out," Miller said from his current home of Montreal.
Even Miller's publisher, Robbie MacGregor at Invisible Publishing, said he was "a little surprised" the collection of true, hilarious, and at times extremely touching stories Miller has been working on since he was 16 years old in a zine by the same name would be able to edge out the Swedish murder mystery powerhouse of Stieg Larsson.

Ghost Pine was also on the Montreal Gazette's top 10 bestsellers list for three consecutive weeks in May and is on track to have a reprint by early fall.
"We realize he's no Stieg Larsson, but for a Canadian indie title -- and especially a zine anthology -- we think that's pretty decent," MacGregor said.

"Jeff Miller's book, his stories, his style -- they're personal. He's been carving out a space for himself, and readers have been responding."
In his collection, Miller recounts the time he moved to Japan to be with his morose girlfriend only to be dumped the day after arriving, the time he disappointed some "Ottawa Valley crackheads" who forced him to clean out his meagre bank account at an ATM in Ottawa's financial district, the dishevelled tours across Canada as a band roadie and many other tales; some big, some small. Just as the title indicates, all the stories are in fact true, a style he said is rooted in the do-it-yourself zine subculture.

He started writing in his parents' Ottawa home while a high school student in the mid-1990s, when the punk DIY approach to music, as well as publishing, was in full swing. "It was something I could do alone in my room, and at that time in my life I spent a lot of time in my room, like most teenagers do," he said laughing.
Miller said several of his zines are still in print, and he estimates he has sold somewhere around 10,000 copies over the years. Most of his fans are in North America, but he has sent copies as far as Australia and Malaysia.

Stories are not in chronological order, and many take place in Montreal, which he has called home since 1999. He attended Concordia University as an English literature major and is going back for his master's degree in the fall.

Miller is also working on a novel, but he has no plans to stop writing his zine.
"Once you get started on it, it becomes a lifelong obsession. ... There's this production mode that becomes such a nice antidote to going crazy with editing. You get to take out some clip art and get out the glue stick and scissors, bike down to the coffee shop and figure it out."
To purchase a copy of Ghost Pine: All Stories True, go to ghostpine. ghostpine.wordpress.com.

http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=c543ce67-87f5-482a-ad70-996417bc7dd4

Touch: Back in Jan. 2012, I wrote about the pilot Touch.  Here’s an excerpt:

Jan. 25 Touch: Today I finally saw the pilot to Touch. It's by Tim Kring, the guy who created Heroes. He's really creative and a great writer. On Heroes, it was about a group of people all around the world who had superpowers. They were all connected to one another. If you watch Touch, it's about a group of people who are all connected with one another.

I was very inspired by it. Tim Kring had said in this article I read in 24: "This is really a chance to continue what you would call social-benefit storytelling, the idea of using archetypal narrative to create and promote a positive energy in the world."

http://badcb.blogspot.ca/2012/01/touch.html

My opinion: I didn’t watch this show after the pilot.  I was really busy with work, and I was cutting down on TV.  I didn’t pick up a lot of TV shows.  I went on Wikipedia and the show got cancelled after 2 seasons.

I like that above quote by Kring.  In the 24 article, there is another good quote by him: “As storytellers, we want to reserve the right to say there is some other idea floating above it, something spiritual or supernatural.”

I’m going to put it in my inspirational quotes collection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_%28TV_series%29

Nov. 26 Stan Lee: I cut out this article called “Spider-Man co-creator offers lesson in superhero history” by Russ Bynum.  It was published back in Nov. 2, 2012.  It’s how he got started in the comic book business.  I only copy and pasted a few excerpts from the article.  He’s really nice and paid a visit to the Savannah College of Art and Design to meet the students and see their work.

“Before he scripted the first adventures of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, a young Stan Lee launched his career in comic books as a lowly sidekick. To hear Lee tell it, the artists he worked for as a teenage assistant in 1940 might as well have dubbed him the Anonymous Eraser-Boy.”

"They gave me a big eraser and I had to go over the pages to make sure the pencil marks didn't show," after artists finished their drawings in black ink, Lee said Wednesday as he revealed this to an awestruck classroom of art students on the Georgia coast. "You guys are actually drawing. I never got past erasing."
"It's not a throne?" Lee quipped as he sat in a plastic chair at the head of a table surrounded by 11 students, each one with broadsheet pages of their works-in-progress, bottles of ink and an iPad.

If Lee himself possessed a superpower, it would be his ability to conquer the generation gap. The young artists he met seem as familiar with Lee as they are with his costumed heroes.

"You see Stan Lee and everyone knows who he is," said art student Dan Glasl. "Every kid has this part of their life where they're this awkward, geeky sort of kid. And Spider-Man is the character every kid can put themselves into."

"We just hoped that a book we were drawing would sell so we could keep our jobs and pay the rent," he said. "We never for one minute thought there would be schools where they teach this."-Stan Lee

http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=73785f9c-86a2-4b5d-9859-24dde719a9c8

mental health/ 16 and Pregnant/ triumphant story

Nov. 20 Mental health:

Winter: Winter has really gotten to me.  I don’t like waiting for the bus in the winter time or shoveling snow.  I have to though.  The thing is, if I don’t like Edmonton winters, then I should move to British Columbia.  Those winters are like 5 degrees and is like early spring when snow is melting.  Or be a “snowbird.”  One time I was working at Telemarketer #1 job and I called this man and he said he won’t be going to any of those shows because he is “snowbird” who goes to the south when it’s winter in Canada.

I do like Edmonton because it’s a big city with lots of fun things to do.  I’ll have to take the weather with it.  I was talking to one of the cooks, and he said he walks to work because he has to start work at 5:30am and no buses come before that.  He leaves at 4:45am and walks to work and gets there by 5:10am.  He sometimes takes the bus home after work if he walks over to a grocery store that’s close by and buys groceries. 

I also have one day off a week from work, so I stay at home all day.  I don’t want to go and wait outside for the bus to go to the mall because it’s cold out.  I don’t want to go to the mall because it’s so busy during the holiday season and I don’t really have anything to buy.

After spending an entire day at home, I usually start going stir-crazy and then I actually want to go out and shovel snow.  Lol.  Or I could stay inside and do other chores around the house.

Nov. 22 Post Secret: "When I was walking down the street tonight a man told me I should kill myself because I'm fat. I told him I hope his life gets better. And I do."

[The most shared Sunday Secret this week] Post Secret.

 

Dec. 2 16 and Pregnant: I’ve been thinking about this for awhile.  I have a rant.  My blog comes in handy.  I’m going to bring back a couple of old posts and I will add my 2013 opinion of it.  Here is a 2010 post about this girl named Lizzie and she was on the show:  

 

http://badcb.blogspot.ca/2010/12/friends-john-edward-good.html

 

16 and Pregnant: I finished reading all the twop comments on Lizzie. At first I really liked her, but after reading all the comments, my opinion has changed. I thought L was like my sister and one of my friends. If they got pregnant as a teenager, and kept the kid and raised it as their own, I'm sure they would still be able to graduate out of high school, college, and have careers. 

It would be really hard, but I think they can make it with a lot of financial and emotional support from their family and friends. The personalities are very go-getters. L's parents were divorced, and L and her mom lived in this big house. L's boyfriend Skylar later moved in with them. Her parents really supported them and the baby Summer. Later Skylar and L got engaged. Then S confessed he cheated on her, and the engagement's off. Then they're back together. This was the only episode that didn't have me saying: "Give the baby up for adoption." 

L graduated out of high school 5 months early. 60% of teen moms don't even graduate out of high school, and she doing it early was really good. She had financial and emotional support from her family and friends. Besides Skylar's infidelity, I think he was an alright guy. He did have a p/t job and was studying the trade of being a glass blower. He took care of the baby. 

The cons: I did notice this, that L got into college and then dropped out because she wanted to spend more time with the baby. That's fine. However, what irked me is that she dropped out, and then told her dad. When I was going to drop out of college, I told my parents first, and then they convinced me to stick with it. Before making a big decision, I really thought she should ask her parents, I think they're paying for it. 

Other twop people said that she should have stuck with college, because it's harder to go back after you quit. When the kid's a toddler running around, it's hard to study. When it's a baby, you can study more because they can't walk. Also take p/t class and not f/t. She was getting good grades too. If her grades were bad, I would understand dropping out. 

Twop pointed out that she bought this homecoming dress, and then showed it to her friends though she isn't going to the dance. Someone said: "L seems to be the kind of person to make a situation about her, even if it isn't."

2011 post:

http://badcb.blogspot.ca/2011/01/funny-video-comparisons-dateline.html

16 and Pregnant: Another thing that annoys me was that 16&P special: Where are they now? They had that one girl Lizzie. Her boyfriend works 2 jobs so that's good. She's studying to be a dental assistant instead of medical billing like she had done earlier.

She got pregnant, and then her boyfriend moved in with her and her parents. She then got married. I was like okay. What really annoyed was this:
Lizzie: I don't like living with my parents as a married couple because it's awkward.

That reminds me of a jumptheshark.com post where someone was dissing 7th Heaven. Someone said: "If you're old enough to get married and have a kid, I'm sure you're old enough to get your own apartment."
Someone on 16&P twop.com said that "Lizzie did everything ass- backwards." I have to agree.

My 2013 opinion: I have read on twop.com that some people think Lizze “accidentally on purpose” got pregnant so she could have a baby and get her boyfriend to marry her.  She did say on the show she wanted to have kids, but this happened sooner than planned.

1.  Getting pregnant on purpose: What gets me angry is when a teenage girl gets pregnant on purpose than a girl who gets pregnant by accident. 

2. No consequences: My main problem with her is in the “Where are they now?” special where she did say (paraphrase): “A lot of people think teen moms can’t succeed, but I’m going to prove them all wrong.”  I definitely remember the “prove them all wrong” part.

I think she did get pregnant on purpose so she could have a family, and also it seemed like she knew that there were little to no consequences.  She knew she wasn’t going to get kicked out of her house, she was going to get married, she was still going to graduate out of high school, and still going to be able to go to college, and have her family financially and emotionally support her.  What she didn’t predict was that her boyfriend cheated on her.

3. Triumphant story: To get even deeper, I think Lizzie created this situation so she could have a triumphant story to tell.  Everybody likes to hear a story where somebody experienced great adversity and achieved it.  For example like Oprah Winfrey, where she lived in abject poverty and worked hard and got her own talk show.  She continues working hard and her show lasted for 25 yrs and became a millionaire.  Now she donates millions of dollars to charity.

Or how about Liz Murray?  She was on Oprah’s show “From homeless to Harvard.”  She was living in abject poverty, and her mom died when she was a teenager.  Liz was homeless for a month and partying.  Then she thought what would happen if she worked really hard and what would happen in 2 weeks from now or a month from now?  She studied at school until it closed, and then she went to the library.  She then slept on the trains before she had to go to school again.  She went to Harvard and later transferred to Columbia.

http://badcb.blogspot.ca/2011/06/liz-murray-post-secret-hackers.html

My sister checked out this book from the library called The Search for Fulfillment by Susan Krause Whitbourne.  There is this quiz about your life.  You are either living: meandering, downward slope, straight and narrow, triumphant, and authentic.

My story: I didn’t realize it, but I did get triumphant.  I did face adversity like being able to graduate out of high school within 3 yrs and with some grade level classes.  Especially with math.  I attended all my classes, paid attention, did all my homework, got my sister to help me with math nearly everyday.  My parents paid and drove me to my math tutor every week just so I can barely pass Applied math, the second to lowest math class.

I needed to pass math to graduate out of high school and go to college.  I had to spend a year upgrading all 4 core classes like English, Social studies, math, and Biology 30 so I could get into college.

I may not be struggling financially, but I did face adversity with school.  As for Lizzie, I think she purposely created this situation to get a triumphant story.  If she wanted a triumphant story, she should have maybe go into a hard college program or go to law school. 

Aqua massage/ happiness during holidays/ Paul Walker

Nov. 21 Aqua Massage: One of the servers got a West Edmonton Mall coupon book as a tip from a customer.  The server then shared it with all of us.  A lot of the workers took the fast food coupons.  I decided to use the Cloud 9 Aqua Massage coupon.  Take $5 off a massage.

The first time I saw one of these was on Big Brother 3 in 2002 as a luxury reward.  You lay there in this kind of tanning salon- like bed and listen to calm adult contemporary music.  The high power water jets spray on your back from the toes to the shoulders.  There is hold button so it could stay on one spot and an emergency stop button.

There is the $20 for 10 min massage.  I paid $15.75 for it.  I would say it was relaxing and a fun new experience.  I have the winter blues and stress from work, so it’s good to try something new.  I like it and wouldn’t mind trying it again.

http://www.albertaaquamassage.ca/

Nov. 27 Happiness during holidays: Ginny Grimsley sent me this article called “Happiness During the Holidays.”  It’s about how Jane Schwartzberg was diagnosed with a terminal illness and here are her tips on living a meaningful life:

• Showing up. If you’re worried about yesterday or always planning for tomorrow, you’re missing the present moment and any wonderful experiences it may hold.

“Although my clock ticks louder than others, I know we are all here for a short time,” Schwartzberg says. “I am determined to find joy in every single day. It may come from the simplest of things: a view from my window, a great conversation or a hot cup of coffee. But I know I need to be always present and available, with an open mind and open heart, to experience any of it.”

• Riding her love train. We all have people in our lives who care about us, and it’s important to let them know how much we appreciate them. Schwartzberg’s “love train” is a metaphor for all of the people she chooses to share her life with.  “They are rooting me on and giving my family and me love and support,” she says. “I try to be as meticulous and thoughtful as I possibly can be with those on board, and that means making sure they know how much I love and value them.”

• Knowing my place in the world. There is a Jewish teaching that says everyone should carry with them two pieces of paper, each in a separate pocket. One paper should say, “I am but dust and ashes.”  The other, “The world was created for me.” 

“I constantly remind myself that both statements are true,” Schwartzberg says. “I am capable of incredible things to improve the world, and I am just a tiny speck in the universe. Powerfulness and humility can, and do, exist for me side by side.”

http://www.badcb.blogspot.ca/2013/11/article-happiness-during-holidays.html

Nov. 28 Cute news: I read in the Metro on Nov. 6, 2013 that otters hold hands while they eat and sleep so they won’t drift apart.  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2421731/Otterly-adorable-Dozy-otters-hold-hands-taking-nap-dont-drift-apart-sleep.html

Nov. 29 Southgate: I went to Southgate mall on Nov. 14, 2013.  I haven’t been there in years.  It’s because it’s so far away and I like going to malls that are closer to me like City Centre.  It was Thurs. and my day off.  My parents said they were going there and asked if I wanted to come so I said yes.  On a Thurs. at 1pm, the mall was really busy.

I spent 2 hrs there and didn’t buy anything.  I just like to go to the mall and look at things. 

1. Sears- the store was really busy though in the business news there were reports of closing down stores and lay offs.
2. Apple- I thought the only Apple store was in West Ed.
3. Below the Belt- they were selling Toms shoes with a sign: “For every purchase of Toms, they will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.”  I put a status update on Facebook about those shoes.
4. Crate and Barrel- great furniture, home décor, dishware, and Christmas ornaments.  It was expensive.  You could go to Winners for same things.

5. RW&Co.-nice clothes.  Hayden Christensen pictures everywhere because of his new fashion line.
6. Pusch- sells Toms too for charity.  Expensive.
7. Kiehl’s- sells skin cream.
8. Guess- this is a really nice store.  It sells clothes, bags, jewelry, and perfume.  Good classy atmosphere.
9. Michael Kors- nice store.
10. Fossil- nice bags, jewelry, and wallets.

11. Sage Natural Wellness- it sells natural skin cream and mists.  A location at West Edmonton Mall opened recently.
12. Calendar Club- it sells stuffed animals, board games, colanders and agendas.
13. Iviva Athletica- it sells expensive, colorful kid’s yoga clothes.  I thought the only location was in West Ed.
14. STREET- it also sells Toms shoes for charity.  I thought there was only one in West Ed.

15. Claire’s- starts selling cds, candy, and Christmas stockings.
16. The Science Shop- toys, books, stuffed animals, board games, and calendars.
17. Beauty Express- hair salon and sells nail polish.  I was told the one in West Ed closed down and this is the only one in Alberta.
18. Lego store- there are lots of cool displays of castles and animals made.
19. KIXS- the clothing store is closing and everything is on sale, except the Toms shoes for charity.
20. Dynamite- really nice store.  It looks like the locations in West Ed and Kingsway mall.

21. Stitches- they sold a lot of shoes.

22. Areopostale- nice store.
23. Rocky Mountain Soap Company- sells natural soaps, scrubs, and massage oil.
24.  GEOX- sells shoes and jackets.  There’s one in West Ed.
25. Zara- they sell really expensive clothes.
26. BCBG Maxazria- they also sell perfume with their expensive clothes.
27. Restoration Hardware- it sells very nice and class furniture.  The store is really dark and only has lighting on the beds.

City Centre mall: On Oct. 29, 2013 I went to this mall on my day off.

1. A&W- I had a coupon to get a free coffee there.
2. Lasik MD- I went there and got a brochure to learn more about it.  It can be $490-1690 for an eye.
3. Bunches- this flower shop is renovating.
4. HMV- this store moved into a smaller location in the mall.
5. Bentley
6. Franco Magelli- it’s a men’s store and sells expensive clothes.

7. Groove Stone- they sell nice jewelry that’s locally made.
8. Purdy’s Chocolates- it’s renovated.  Lots of purple and looks nice.
9. Suzy Shier- they sell perfume now too.
10. Fly Jeans Co.- the worker told me they opened a month ago and replaced Bellissma.  Expensive.
11. Ardene
12. The 4^th floor is renovating like the Academy of Learning. 

13. BFC Emporium- nice toys, stuffed animals, stationary.
14. Fairweather- the store is closing for renovation and big sale.
15. Cleo
16. Design Jeweler’s opened.
17. Coles
18. Flurries- this store recently opened and sells boots.
19. Winners.

Oct. 30, 2013

20. Shoppers Drug Mart- both locations.
21. Ricki’s.
22. Aldo.

Happy: I feel good after writing about those shopping trips.  It’s like I’m reliving a good experience again.

Toms Shoes: Here’s the link: 

http://www.toms.ca/our-movement/l

Dec. 1 Paul Walker: I went to work today and my co-worker Alex told me that The Fast and the Furious actor Paul Walker passed away yesterday because of a car accident.  He was the passenger.  When I heard that, I was so sad.  I thought: “Isn’t he like in his 30s?  Doesn’t he have a kid?”  Then I went to the break room and Global TV news was on and it reported that he’s dead.

I went home and Google him.  It turns out he’s 40 yrs old and has a 15 yr old daughter.  I was thinking about an interview he did when he was promoting Into the Blue in 2005 on the Ellen Degeneres show.  He seemed like a nice and friendly guy.

When a singer dies, I usually think: “That’s too bad.  Now he or she can’t make any more good music.”  When an actor dies, I usually think: “That’s too bad.  Now he or she can’t make any more good movies or TV shows.”  What I didn’t know was that he created a charity.

“Walker and (Roger) Rodas had attended a fundraiser benefiting victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines. The event was held by Reach Out Worldwide, a charity Walker founded in 2010 to aid victims of natural disasters.”

 http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/paul-walker-death-speed-a-factor-in-crash-officials-say-1.2447215