Fa-la-la Lovely Gift Wrap

December 15, 2010
Article Written by: Barb Lunter

http://www.nsnews.com/life/lovely+gift+wrap/3980675/story.html

          

            If someone delivered me a gift with sheet music as the wrapping paper, I would appreciate it. It is a unique idea that probably very few think of. Of course holiday wrapping paper is nice too but this takes it one step further. Imagine having the “Jingle Bells” lyrics and sheet music covering your gift. It would be amazing. It is the “traditional” Christmas carols and wrapping paper: best of both worlds. Yes, it is a bit more money spent at this time of year, but it make gifts look “classy” and more expensive. You can choose your favourite carols to “blow up” and even print them on glossy paper. Who wouldn’t want that? You can always be sure that the recipients will open their gifts “carefully” as to not rip the paper. It is gift-wrapping that will surely be remembered because “first impressions” and important. This gift wrapping idea makes each present more “personal” then regular gift paper because each person can get their favourite Christmas carol to be their wrapping paper. You can take your sheet music into an office supply store like “Staples” and quickly print out, blow up or make your music shiny. I personally would enjoy having a Christmas present wrapped in holiday sheet music because it shows that the person giving the gift took the time to get it done.

Japan Knife Man Wounds 13 People, Mostly Schoolchildren

December 16, 2010
Article Written by: AFP

http://www.vancouversun.com/Japanese+stabs+people+mostly+schoolchildren/3990113/story.html

        Shortly after reading this article I couldn't help but to feel sick to my stomach. Why does someone wake up and decide there going to stab young innocent people especially children. The news article reports that a Japanese man was aboard two buses and ended up wounding 13 people. Most of the people were schoolchildren, as the man happened to be aboard a school bus. Thankfully all 13 of the stab victims "were wounded, no one [was] dead." It was all because of witnesses that "subdued the knifeman" to come across and help. It's scary to think that people snap everyday and you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

        After reading this I couldn't help to sit down and think what really goes through these peoples heads when they decide to go on a rampage. More and more saddening events are happening each day and popping up in the news. You can't trust anyone these days, and it's a sad day when young children are the victims of these events. My thoughts are out to the families of the young ones and the other remaining people who were unfortunate to get caught in the stabbing.

Teaching Teens About Health and Fitness

December 15, 2010
Article Written by: Manisha Krishnan

http://www.nsnews.com/health/Teaching+teens+about+health+fitness/3980685/story.html

           This article really caught my eye since I am taking fitness this semester and our class has gone to Griffins Boxing to do a cardio workout. It was the hardest workout I've ever had to do, leaving me sore for days but it felt really good to do it. I think it's very important that teens are incorporating a workout into their lives since the child and teen obesity rates are high. This article really shows that they care, introducing "weight training programs" at William Griffin and Parkgate Community Center. If centers are making fun programs that don't look boring more teens will be interested it doing them. If it weren’t for me taking fitness I would never have signed up for a workout class. The workout may push you but in the end it feels rewarding and the effect is really worth it. Teens need more opportunities to sign up for classes like this and being able to have a fitness program here at Sutherland really helps. Buy a gym pass and go work out once a week, as long as your prepared and you don’t push and overdue it you will see positive changes. We need to try to help bring down the teen obesity rate even if its one step like this at a time.

William Griffin Recreation Center

Kevin Falcon, Bars Push for Longer Weekend Skytrain Service

December 16, 2010
Article Written by: Kelly Sinoski

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Kevin+Falcon+bars+push+longer+weekend+SkyTrain+service/3988227/story.html

           This article is something I can relate too since I have been one of the many that is pushing for longer running hours for the buses and skytrains. I don’t know how many times I’ve been out and have had to find an alternate way home. Buses are supposed to be here for us and taxis these days are so pricey to take. Kevin Falcon is pushing to extend skytrains running hours “on the weekend”. One of the main reasons for this change to become in affect is over the new drunk driving laws. There suppose to be supporting a safe way of getting home, yet if the skytrains aren’t running there giving people an excuse to get into there cars after having some drinks. Currently no translink run 24 hours a day and we need to change that. To get the public involved “BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association and BarWatch, also has a Facebook Fan Page” so check it out! When all the translink lines stop running how do they expect those who are out for the night or getting home from a friends house to get home?

           For me living in Deep Cove the last bus from Phibbs Exchange is at 11:47 p.m. You don’t know how many times I have missed or have had to leave wherever I am early to catch it. I have no other choice but to call my mom or the worst, walk. I couldn’t be more thankful if they were to get the buses running later on the weekends.  It's definitely a great idea to me and I’m 100% on board.

Abandon the Penny, Senate Finance Committee Urges

December 15, 2010
Article Written by: Carmen Chai

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Abandon+penny+Senate+finance+committee+urges/3979376/story.html

          The economy today and costs of producing a penny costs more than the actual penny itself. I agree that the penny should be “abandoned”. It does nothing more than take up space in peoples wallets and serve no function to be a nuisance. Most people don’t take the time to count out pennies when paying for something, and if they happen to fall on the ground, people just leave them. There is no point in bending down to pick it up, it isn’t worth it. Pennies usually end up in couches, under vending machines and found pretty much anywhere on the streets. New Zealand and Australia have already “ditched” the penny and even their “five-cent” piece. I think that if we rid ourselves of the Canadian penny then we will be different than the United States, I mean, we don’t want to be like them do we? I’m not sure why the Government of Canada is so hesitant to remove the penny from production. We can’t have financial problems if we dispose of the penny because it is not worth enough to do any damage. If the penny is removed from “circulation” then the salespeople will round up the prices of items to the nearest five-cent. The “eight recommendations” the government press has released are quite reasonable and people should have no problem with any of them. Years from now the penny will probably become a collector’s item, and so the value of the penny will be on the rise again, but for now I think it’s time that we say good-bye to the Canadian penny.

Is it time to say goodbye to the Canadian Penny?

Con Man Scams 86-Year-Old

December 15, 2010
Article Written by: James Weldon

http://www.nsnews.com/news/scams+year/3980663/story.html

     Shortly after reading this post I was extremely shocked to see how someone could do this to an 86 year old. It saddens to me to know that people are becoming so desperate for money that they are willing to scam an 86 year old. The man has been suspected of coning the women into thinking he was relative needing money for repairs. He had taken her to the bank where she withdrew 800$ and “pocketed the money and vanished.” Police are still trying to catch the suspect described as a “Caucasian man in his mid-40s.” Investigators now believe that he may be associated to several other scams that were recently reported. Are people this desperate to pocket money? This isn’t the only article that I’ve read where people have drastically stolen money in the most frantic ways. This poor innocent woman now has to live with guilt of believing this man being her “nephew”. This just shows that you can’t trust anyone with there word since almost always it proves to be a scam in the end. What has our society come too?





Consumer Group Suing McDonald's Over Toys

December 15, 2010
Article Written by: Reuters

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Consumer+group+suing+McDonald+over+toys/3982895/story.html

         I couldn't help not to write about this article after being able to relate to this. When I was younger I couldn't help but to want to go to McDonald's to get that toy! It seems it's all the little kids care about these days. Every time I am in a McDonald's I can't help but to see and hear the little ones ask for the toy over and over and pick the one they want. A group of consumers are saying that McDonald's happy meal toys are only there to "lure children into the restaurant." They also strongly believe its contributing to child obesity rates. McDonald's over the past couple of years has been trying to improve their happy meals like "[swapping] milk for soda and apple dippers." Apparently this isn't enough as critics are suing. I personally believe they're not going to win this; McDonald's is to popular of a fast food chain to just getting rid of something so meaningless to them. All the kids care about is the toy they get and focus less on the food, thus getting the parents to take their children out to eat only because the kids' want the toys. Simple fact to solve this whole solution is to not even take your kids to McDonald's; you know it's bad for your health yet so many people still eat it. 

Happy Meal "Toys" were not introduced until 1979



Man on Gondola Tower Halts Skyride

December 8, 2010
Article Written by: James Weldon
http://www.nsnews.com/news/gondola+tower+halts+Skyride/3945121/story.html

        Shortly after reading this article I was shocked to read this since I was up at Grouse taking the gondola up a day before this incident. I couldn't help to think what was this guy thinking? Who decides there going to climb up the gondola tower and cause such a scene? Reports are saying that the 23 year old climbed up after veering off from the Grouse Grind. After spending close to 2 hours up there the victim was willing to come down but "was too scared to descend by himself." After everything the rescue crew was able to get him down safely. He survived "cold and uninjured". After backing up the gondola tower for the public and getting the police and rescue involved I don't know what goes through people's minds. To cause all of this unnecessary frustration of them having to get him down safely all for whatever his reasons were is crazy. People really need to start thinking before they decide to climb up a tower with no idea how there going to get down.





Pregnant Woman Rescued from Storm After Dog Locks her Out of Car

December 14, 2010
Article Written by: Anthony Reinhart

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/pregnant-woman-rescued-from-storm-after-dog-locks-her-out-of-car/article1838081/

When I first read about this article I couldn't help but to be like what? This is not an article you read about in the news everyday. Not only was she six months pregnant but 28 year old Ms.Levac got locked out of her car by her dog. That's right, a dog. Earlier that day she had gotten stuck outside from a terrible storm and had left her car to "seek help at the only farmhouse close enough to see through the swirling white." She was she lucky enough that a passenger on a snowmobile that was passing by had spotted her out. I couldn't imagine being put in a situation like this. Not only would I be in shock that my dog had locked me out, but being pregnant and out in the cold was so dangerous.

This article has showed me that you always need to be prepared for the most unexpected and extreme conditions. I doubt that the last thing she was thinking was getting locked out by her dog. I'm glad she and her dog made it out safe and my thoughts are with the rest of the people that got trapped out in the snow storm as well. All I can say is thank goodness she was wearing bright red mittens instead of white ones!



Ms. Levac and her Siberian Husky



Miley Cyrus, a Bong, and a Birthday

December 10, 2010
Article Written by: Bart Jackson

http://www.vancouversun.com/Miley+Cyrus+bong+birthday+smokin+video/3959134/story.html

          After reading this article for some reason I was not shocked to read about this. After hitting her teenage years she has made such an effort to get people to look at her like an adult. Now lets see how her fans think about her, after a video leaked of her "taking a big gulp from a bong" but apparently sources reveal that it wasn't pot that she was smoking it was "salvia, a reputed herbal giggle-maker that's legal in California." What a nice way to spend your 18th birthday Miley. Throughout the video you can see that Miley responds in a childish way saying repeated times throughout the video "I think I'm having a bad trip." That right there is why I think that salvia should not be legal in California. If it has the same effect that pot has on someone it should not be allowed.

         In a way I can see that Miley is just becoming a normal rebellious teen, especially after her parents of seventeen years are divorcing. There's other ways to cope and get attention then through something like this going through the public eye. For some reason teens feel like they have to express there anger and thoughts through something negative like this, and if you ask most people about her behavior recently, this isn't a shock. Most people described this as "it was just a matter of time." Her father Billy Ray Cyrus who is a former singer came out and it was just as a disappointment to him then it was to the public. How are the young girls who look up to Miley as an idol going to feel? Sources are saying she's going to turn into a "Lindsay Lohan" which I really hope she doesn't follow that path.