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Connectivity: Life’s Trivial Pursuit
BY FRANK RUSSO (@ComedyRusso) “If someone had mentioned ‘staying connected’ meant to everyone else’s problems, I’d have never bought one” That was just one of many revelations to come from the first annual Reflections On Technology (ROT) conference held in Sudbury, Ontario, this past weekend. Experts, academics, and consumers alike spent three days on a technology-free retreat, where they could re-experience what life was like before cellphones and social media. “The longer I’m away from it, the less it makes sense,” explains Shane Newbert, Program Developer at You-slessApp. “I have Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Outlook, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts. Obviously I don’t have time for all of these,…
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Dealing with uncertainty
BY JENNY WILSON Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the new year, or maybe it’s because it’s my last semester as a student ever, but lately I have been freaking out about the future. Go to school. Get good grades. Get a good job. Get married. Buy a house. Have kids. Sounds simple right? Follow the plan and you’ll be fine. I’m following the plan, but I don’t feel fine. What happens if I don’t get a good job? What if I’m stuck in minimum wage retail forever? What if I worked so hard for all my school, but there are no jobs at the end of it all? How…
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Thoughts from a Real Muslim
BY SHEIMA BENEMBAREK I woke up on January 7th 2015 thrilled to begin the second semester of my graduate publishing studies and to continue as publisher of the On the Danforth magazine. Thrilled, that is, until I found out that eight staff members of the Paris-based satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo had been shot and killed by Muslim extremists during their daily editorial meeting that morning. A dark day not only for those working in media and publishing, but for all. As a publishing professional and a Muslim living in Canada for the past ten years, I was struck deeply on several levels. I was both angry and worried. Angry at these…
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Moving in with a chick
By Francisco Maciel Move in day. The beginning of this wild, passionate, strange story. I have had roommates before, but this was different. Before I begin let me tell you a bit about myself. An average self image: long black hair –usually in a so called man-bun, olive skin, dark eyes, and a constant questioning of reality. I study physics but have a deep love for the arts. In an inexplicable way the arts became my only path to sorrow, happiness, and peace. Now on to her. Adventure in her spirit –moving to another country alone does that to people–, curly jet black hair, perpetually cold hands, sad eyes that…
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LGBT Community, Anti Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Rally Against Tim Hortons, Burger King Merger
“Corporations are people too” BY FRANK RUSSO (@ComedyRusso) There was a major wedding last month that has the business, political, and LGBT communities buzzing. Tim Hortons and Burger King finally tied the knot. Not since the decree “Corporations are people too” has there been a more high-profile gay corporate wedding, and Wall Street traders have been quick to boast the free market’s ability to push social progress. “It was beautiful,” says Mike Bochey, a stock trader at F&U Global. “There was so much red tape and restrictions when the idea first emerged, but luckily the free market is a welcoming community to new and open-minded ideas.” However, not every group…
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Being the “bigger girl”
BY JENNY WILSON It’s a new year —bring on those unrealistic fitness and weight loss goals. This past year it’s been all about the challenges. Squat challenge, abs challenge, push up challenge etc. I admit I tried the squat challenge, but I didn’t follow through to the end of it. I simply forgot all about it. So how do you actually make sure those new years resolutions actually stick? I’m not a fitness expert, or a nutritionist or anything— obviously— but I do know what worked for me. I was always the “bigger girl”. Big boned is what everyone used to call me. Taller and thicker than other girls my…
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Report: Afterlife Nothing Like Advertised
BY FRANK RUSSO (@ComedyRusso) “I’d make the best of what you have now, because you’re going to be quite disappointed when you get there.” That is the advice given by Michael Gibbons, who recently experienced eternity after poorly hung Christmas lights fell into his eggnog, leaving him legally dead for 15 minutes. “There’s gum everywhere,” explains Mr. Gibbons, “and when you ask about the gum, everyone’s like ‘who gets to heaven and wants to clean up gum? It’s heaven, do whatever you want.'” While the gum situation was a small damper on his experience, there was a much larger problem Mr. Gibbons was unprepared for. “Everyone’s kind of a dick,”…
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Going home…
BY JENNY WILSON It’s 9:30 PM, it’s freezing outside, I’ve got two big boxes, my purse, and my lunch pail in my hands and I’m rushing to get to the crosswalk before the light changes. I’m done a 10-hour shift working at the mall during the Christmas season and I’m on my way home. Not home to my apartment. I’m going home, back to my hometown. Back to Norwich. I haven’t been home since Thanksgiving, but I have two days off and I’m not staying in Toronto when I haven’t seen my family in what feels like forever. They don’t know that I’m making the trip home. As far as…
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Looking for a Holiday Hobby?
How To Make Unique Soaps from Home, On a Budget BY AISHA STAMBOULI, Service Enhancement Consultant & Urban homesteader What You’ll Need: · Goat milk & glycerin base · Essential oils (try wintry scents like nutmeg, peppermint or pine) · Soap molds or small Tupperware containers Making soap can be simple, given the proper ingredients. I enjoy using a goat milk and glycerin base, which can be purchased at Michaels or at a similar crafts store. Next,…
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Last Minute New Year’s Eve Ideas
BY SHRUTI JAMADAGNI December is one of the busiest times of the year socially— Christmas, Hanukkah, work parties, family parties; it all adds up to a whirlwind of activities. It’s not surprising that by the time New Year’s Eve rolls around, many of us are caught unawares. If you’re one of the many who’re scrambling to find New Year’s Eve plans, we’ve got you covered. Here are 4 New Year’s Eve celebration ideas that you can do without too much pre-planning: New Year’s Eve at Nathan Phillips Square (free) – An annual tradition, this year Nathan Phillips Square will again be hosting a variety of shows and exhibits starting at…
