Jan. 17, 2017 "The new rules of engagement": Today I found this article by India Sturgis in the Edmonton Journal:
The new year is one of the most popular times to contemplate the big, meaningful questions in life — namely, will you marry me?
Between December and February, it’s open season for engagements (with Valentine’s Day being a last-chance cut off for those wanting a summer wedding). According to one survey of 10,000 Britons, 40 per cent of single men popped the question over the holidays, with a further 47 per cent planning to do so by Feb. 14.
But for those expecting a traditional proposal, with a round-cut solitaire white-gold diamond ring, the odds are stacked against you. The rules for choosing, offering and then wearing an engagement ring have never been more complex.
Engagement code used to dictate that rings were restricted to the left hand, fourth finger — so chosen because Ancient Romans believed a vein (the vena amoris, or “vein of love”) ran through this finger, leading directly to the heart.
Tell that to Serena Williams. Newly engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, she was recently spotted wearing her white-gold band on both her left and — shock horror — her right hand during training. Recently, the TV series Sherlock reminded us that some widows switch their ring to a different finger after a spouse’s death.
Mariah Carey also tore up the rule-book by continuing to wear her US$9.85-million rock for weeks after she split from her billionaire fiancé, James Packer.
It’s not just about which finger you wear your ring on; fast gaining traction in the U.S. are so-called midi rings, worn below the knuckle, in between the two finger joints.
“Holding ” bands are increasingly popular with would-be grooms who feel they dare not buy the full engagement ring without their partner’s approval. However, actress Mila Kunis went one better: Rather than wear the Tiffany engagement ring given to her by her husband, Ashton Kutcher, she bought another one herself — for US$90, from craft website Etsy.
Emelie Tyler, managing director of Purely Diamonds, says that money is no longer key when it comes to an engagement ring — and rather than the groom spending three months’ salary on their sparkler, many brides are happy with as little as a week’s worth.
“People are typically paying much less,” she says. “For those looking to cut costs, we have a range made from palladium, a cheaper version of platinum.”
She puts the reason for scrimping on the engagement ring down to inflated wedding costs — the average wedding is now close to US$31,000 — and couples hoping to get a foot on the property ladder.
“A lot of girls will say to the guys that they don’t want them to spend a huge amount of money, because they know how much harder it is to buy a home.”
“A lot of girls will say to the guys that they don’t want them to spend a huge amount of money, because they know how much harder it is to buy a home.”
Women are the driving force behind the subtle changes to wedding traditions. Whereas a bride previously cooed over whatever she was given, nowadays she knows what she wants.
“And insists on getting it,” adds Daisy Amodio, founder of The Proposers, a service that plans bespoke engagements. She has orchestrated more than 1,000 proposals in the past four years, including flash mobs in Times Square and events in the Swiss Alps.
“Those men who are too nervous to buy an engagement ring will just buy the diamond, then go with their partner to choose the bespoke setting together. I’ve heard of some going down on one knee with a box containing a necklace, earrings or bracelet — even an IOU.”
For those with cash, high settings — such as Pippa Middleton’s three carat Art Deco-style ring, estimated to have cost US$308,000 — are fast becoming more popular, driven no doubt by social-media-inspired engagement selfies, where big is best.
Designed to allow as much light into the ring as possible, with the stone held up “prouder and higher” for optimum exposure, according to Tyler, they are owned by celebrities such as Hilary Swank, Amal Clooney and the late Grace Kelly.
Designed to allow as much light into the ring as possible, with the stone held up “prouder and higher” for optimum exposure, according to Tyler, they are owned by celebrities such as Hilary Swank, Amal Clooney and the late Grace Kelly.
“It is down to personal preference, but a high setting is definitely more showy — and increases the chance the stone will be knocked about,” Tyler says.
Having gone to so much effort (or not) to choose the perfect semi-precious orb, it’s important to capture the moment it’s presented.
For that, enter RingCam, a tiny HD camera hidden in a ring box, designed by a US company to record your loved one’s reaction.
For that, enter RingCam, a tiny HD camera hidden in a ring box, designed by a US company to record your loved one’s reaction.
Clearly, it’s a Wild West out there so, in the words of John Travolta in Grease, probably best to remember: “The rules are, there ain’t no rules.”
Feb. 10, 2017 "Valentine's day by the numbers": Today I found this article by Rita Demontis in the Edmonton Journal:
We are a nation that, well, loves. A recent Leger survey by eBay Canada revealed that Canadians are a nation of traditional romantics:
About 71 per cent of Canadians consider themselves romantic and 56 per cent plan on celebrating Valentine’s Day.
Of those planning to celebrate, 11 per cent don’t have a significant other.
Millennials shine in the romance category. They are the most likely of all adult age groups to celebrate Valentine’s Day and are one of the most likely to consider themselves romantic.
Seniors are the most likely to consider themselves romantics.
There is an East Coast/West Coast correlation for celebrating the designated day of romance. While the Atlantic region and Quebec are most likely to celebrate Valentine’s Day, those from British Columbia and Alberta are the least likely.
Canucks are traditional romantics.
For Canadians celebrating Valentine’s Day this year, the most common type of gift they’ll purchase is a typically romantic one — 32 per cent are planning to buy things such as jewelry, flowers and chocolate.
Women have a good sense of humour when it comes to romance. Those celebrating Valentine’s Day are more likely than men to buy funny, quirky gifts, while men celebrating the occasion are twice as more likely to buy romantic gifts.
As for shopping on this special day, Canadians as a whole are getting spicy. While the Leger survey revealed that traditional romantic gifts are the most popular, eBay sees Canadians being a little more adventurous with their Valentine’s gift giving.
In fact, 65 per cent of gift items being purchased on eBay are “spicy gifts” (women’s lingerie topped the list), while 24 per cent were “next level gifts” (serious jewelry that takes a relationship to the next level), and only 10 per cent of gifts being traditionally romantic.
Spicy gifts are the most popular in the Yukon, while they are the least popular in Ontario.
An Agent Provocateur silk kimono dressing gown for approximately $640 CAD (purchased in B.C.)
Wedding bells are ringing in Ontario. In the month leading up to Valentine’s Day, Ontarians were purchasing the most wedding and engagement items. Also, in the past year, someone from Ontario purchased the most expensive engagement ring — a platinum fourcarat diamond ring for more than $100,000 CAD.
My week:
Feb. 14, 2020 Valentine's Day speed dating: I attended an event and met and dated 10 guys in one night. There was the Centre of Spiritual Living Potluck night that comes every 2nd Fri. of the month, but I couldn't attend it because of speed dating.
I'm looking to be in a relationship, and I'm taking aligned action by going to speed dating events (and Meetups). The term "aligned action" is from those self- development telesummits I listen to.
Feb. 16, 2020 A taxi driver prevents a old woman from getting scammed:
A California cab driver knew something sounded fishy when his elderly passenger said she needed a ride to the bank to withdraw $25,000.
Rajbir Singh picked up a 92-year-old woman in Roseville, California, two weeks ago. When he started chatting with her, Singh said she told him she was about to withdraw the money to settle a debt with the IRS.
He pleaded with the woman to reconsider, saying he thought this could be a scam. Singh even detoured to a police station to help convince his passenger not to withdraw her money.
"I am an honest guy, and these are old people. They need help," Singh, the owner of Roseville Cab, told CNN on Thursday. "It just made sense."
As Singh talked to the woman, she told him that someone had called her and asked for the money. When he asked if it was a family member, the woman grew silent.
Singh said the woman agreed to let him call the number to the person who was posing as an IRS employee.
"We called this number again and I asked the man, 'Do you know this lady?' He said no," Singh said. "I knew something was wrong."
When Singh pressed the man, saying the woman was 92 years old and she was nervous, the man hung up on him. After repeated calls back, Singh said the number blocked them.
Despite that, Singh said the woman still didn't believe him, so he came up with another idea.
"Raj pleaded with the woman to reconsider so they agreed to stop by the Roseville Police Station to ask an officer," the police department said in a post on Facebook.
Singh spoke with an officer in the station, who then spoke with the woman, police said.
The conversation with the officer worked, and the woman believed she was being scammed.
"We love this story because several times throughout, Raj could have just taken his customer to her stop and not worried about her wellbeing," Roseville police said in the Facebook post. "He took time from his day and had the great forethought to bring the almost-victim to the police station for an official response."
Roseville police said Singh deserved a "great citizen award" in a statement.
"His quick thinking saved a senior citizen $25,000 and for that, we greatly appreciate his efforts," police said.
Singh took his passenger home, her bank account saved. A week after the potential scam was thwarted, Singh said he got a call asking him to come back to the station.
Officers gave Singh a $50 gift card to thank him for what he did.
Pier 1 closing down: I found this on the Globe and Mail:
Home goods retailer Pier 1 Imports Inc. says it has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States and plans to close all Canadian stores as part of its restructuring process.
The Texas-based company has been struggling with increased competition from budget-friendly online retailers such as Wayfair.
Please, let's remember the outrageous rents these strip mall retailers pay to their corporate landlords. The only way to pay the rent and stay alive as a retailer these days is to pay minimum wages and typically sell lower quality, chinese made objects. It always ironic to me that the landlords are the last to lower costs for retailers - there is a reason that malls in many cities are converting retail space to housing projects or mixed use.
The landlords - like the insurance companies and pension funds, invested in retail 60 years ago when it seemed a safe, long-term plan to give returns that the banks stopped paying on deposits years ago. You will see a lot of money pouring into housing, people have to have someplace to live - maybe Amazon will become a leader in housing next?
My retail store pays 33% above minimum wage to it's staff and we do not sell a lot of Chinese products, we provide exceptional service and support and are passionate about what we sell. This is how we are still in business.
The landlords - like the insurance companies and pension funds, invested in retail 60 years ago when it seemed a safe, long-term plan to give returns that the banks stopped paying on deposits years ago. You will see a lot of money pouring into housing, people have to have someplace to live - maybe Amazon will become a leader in housing next?
My retail store pays 33% above minimum wage to it's staff and we do not sell a lot of Chinese products, we provide exceptional service and support and are passionate about what we sell. This is how we are still in business.
PHOENIX – A shopping trip to Target in Peoria, Arizona, a couple of weeks ago was fairly routine for Oliver Garza-Pena, who is nearly 2 years old, and his mom.
But when the pair entered the boy's clothing department, something unexpected happened.
Oliver whipped his wheelchair around to stare in awe at an ad above a clothing rack. In it was a boy like him: smiling while sitting in a wheelchair.
"He couldn't stop looking at it," Oliver's mom, Demi Garza-Pena, told The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, via Facebook.
"I could immediately see that he knew he had just seen a boy like himself. Something he has never seen before," she said of the ad.
Garza-Pena snapped a photo of the moment and shared it on Facebook. She has a page for Oliver called "Ollie's World."
The photo was shared more than 33,000 times by Sunday afternoon.
"It made me realize that he needs to see more of this," Garza-Pena said.
Connecting with the boy in the ad
Garza-Pena's photo made its way through social media to Massachusetts, where Colton Robinson, 10, the boy featured in the Target ad, lives with his family.
His mom, Ashley, told the Republic they were pleasantly surprised to learn of Oliver's reaction to the ad.
"You could tell he was really connecting with it, which really means a lot to us that my son can, you know, be like a role model to him," she said. "Colton thought it was adorable to have a little kid looking up to him ... he's never really had that before."
Garza-Pena and Ashley Robinson connected on Facebook.
- Tmf 1 day ago
- Barry 1 day ago
My opinion: Aww... that's so sweet. I usually read news artilces about TV and movies about women, or people of colour on screen and it's good to see ethnic and gender diversity. This is different with an ad and a little kid.
Feb. 20, 2020 The New York Times Style magazine: The customer Gregory gave me this magazine because he reads the NYT. I was reading this to and from work on the bus. This issue was on Nov. 19, 2019.
The cover says: "A speck of Earth all my own." There is art, fashion, food, and travel. The pictures are beautiful. The writing is good. There are some advetorials.
"Full-time job losses keep unemployment high": Today I found this article by Jeff Labine in the Edmonton Examiner:
The cover says: "A speck of Earth all my own." There is art, fashion, food, and travel. The pictures are beautiful. The writing is good. There are some advetorials.
"Full-time job losses keep unemployment high": Today I found this article by Jeff Labine in the Edmonton Examiner:
“Broadly speaking, we have noted the labour market in Edmonton has been showing signs of stress, particularly in the second half of 2019,” she said. “For the balance of this year though, we’re expecting a modest recovery. Last year as a whole, annual employment growth was 1.1 per cent, we’re forecasting growth at 1.1 per cent as a 2020 average.”
Mutheardy said most of the job losses were full-time jobs, which has been consistent in Edmonton year-over-year. Mutheardy noted part-time job growth has been helping to keep the city’s employment numbers up.
My opinion: I was looking for a job on Kijiji a bit, and there aren't a lot of new ads being posted. However, this is one website.
"LGBTQ gym to permanently close months after online harassment campaign": Today I found this article by Moira Wyton in the Edmonton Examiner:
Edmonton’s first LGBTQ gym is permanently closing at the end of February, months after it was targeted by an online campaign that publicly released the names and addresses of its leadership team.
Queerflex board members said the temporary closure after the September incident caused the gym to lose revenue as it looked into increased security options in light of the threats. It has not been fully operational since.
“Despite all our best efforts as a volunteer-run board, the lack of revenue from the cancellation of our group classes and memberships in September ultimately challenged the financial sustainability of our organization,” said the board in a Tuesday statement posted to the gym’s Instagram account.
She hopes the announcement will cause local gym owners and organizations to look at how they can remove barriers to LGBTQ individuals at their own facilities.
“(Queerflex) was able to raise awareness for the need for these spaces.”
Work: When I worked at the 1st restaurant job on Sun., it was very busy.
When I worked at my 2nd restaurant job, it was quiet all week.
The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life: This book is by Helen Palmer. My dad bought this on discount and it took awhile for me to read. It's self- help/ psychology. I remember reading about the Enneagram a couple of times in those teen magazine quizzes. I am #5 The Observer.
The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life: This book is by Helen Palmer. My dad bought this on discount and it took awhile for me to read. It's self- help/ psychology. I remember reading about the Enneagram a couple of times in those teen magazine quizzes. I am #5 The Observer.
Here you can take a free quiz and how much you agree or disagree to these statements. I got #5.
