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    8 Ways to Set Goals and Stay Motivated

    Every new year, we use our resolutions to admit to the world ways in which we want to better ourselves. For a lot of us, it’s about being healthier, wealthier, and wiser. But, by the time we’ve gotten all of the turkey and wine out of our system, our resolutions have begun to waver and fade. Here are some tips to bolster your determination without burning yourself out: 1. Think of it as a Challenge A “goal” is an ideal image that floats above our heads, nice and neat like a finished painting. For all its positive connotations, thinking of a resolution as a goal can disconnect it from the…

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    9 Ways to Make a Stranger’s Day in the City

    Downtown Toronto is consistently a busy, bustling place. If you take a walk through the city, day after day you will see innumerable places and faces. It may be easy to simply walk straight by the chaos, and mind your own business. Many times, I find myself with my earphones in, and tunnel vision on to get to where I’m going. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that each passing person and place, no matter what city you’re in, has a story. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel more connected in some way? Of course, it’s not the easiest task to stop, ask, and get to know these stories…

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    Saying Goodbye to a Pet

    How do you know when it’s time to say goodbye to a pet? How do you know if your family pet is ready to die? Can you ever really know? And, most importantly, how do you bring yourself to make the decision that the time has come to let them go? This last question, more than any other, will cause any owner to hold back from putting their pet down. When our pet is suffering from an illness, our first impulse is to do whatever we can to help. Thankfully, advances in modern medicine mean that there are many treatments available that can assist or completely rid pets of their…

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    Warmth on a Winter’s Weekend

    I know you; you’re sitting in front of your computer, wrapping misery in a blanket, and you’ve opened this article to scoff at my list of ideas to keep your heart warm through another Canadian winter. You don’t like that snow has seized our streets, patios have shut their doors, and Mr. Frost has personally ensured that you will not be at a restful temperature while outdoors for the next three months. So you might as well read this and enlighten your winter more than your wistful waiting ever could. I’m sitting at a coffee shop—outside the window to my left, the snow falls modestly—in the foreground is my computer,…

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    5 Books about Mental Illness

    Mental illness is something that affects many people, either directly or through someone they know. The Canadian Mental Health Association states that 20% of Canadians will experience mental illness personally. With schizophrenia and bipolar disorder each affecting 1% of the population, anxiety disorders affecting 5%, and depression affecting 8% of the adult population and 17% of the youth population (aged 12 to 19), mental illnesses are getting more attention. This fact is shown in the amount of novels published about various mental illnesses. Though there are many books you can read that will give you some perspective on what it may be like to live with a mental illness, these…

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    Why Mats Matter

    Have you ever seen a dog that looks like it’s wearing a clumpy sweater? The wind blows over them but, aside from a few scraggly bits, the hair remains undisturbed. This is because the coat has become so thoroughly tangled that the tats have become mats: thick bunches of hair resembling dreadlocks. They might be isolated to one or two spots, or cover a dog’s entire body. A lot of dog owners think this impenetrable wall of hair will keep Fido warm in the winter. They’re wrong. I’ve been a professional dog groomer for a number of years and I’ve groomed thousands of our four-legged friends. Over time, something has…

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    Review: Toronto’s Sense-less Restaurants

    Able-bodied people go through life without thinking about accessibility issues. There are many ways that this world is experienced differently for anyone living with a disability. The following two restaurants offer a dining experience that help the abled understand the perspective of the deaf and blind. O’Noir 620 Church St., Toronto O’Noir provides a dine-in-the-dark experience. When entering the restaurant, diners order in the lit lobby. Once diners review the menu, a sighted bartender takes their order and communicates it to a blind server. There are two options: either a three course meal (appetizer, main, dessert) or a two course meal (appetizer and main, or main and dessert). Drinks are also ordered before entering the dark room.…

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    Review: Transparent (Second Season)

    As the Golden Globe nominations were released, with many surprises to gossip and marvel over (Mad Max: Fury Road for best picture is pretty amazing), it is rather unsurprising and relieving to see that season two of Transparent is once again nominated for best comedy series. Although this season is a slight step down in some ways from the first, it continues to explore the anxieties and desires of the Pfefferman clan deeply but in lovingly blunt, comedic fashion, proving that this is a family comedy unlike any other currently on television. For those unaware of the show, the story follows the patriarch-turned-matriarch of the Pfefferman family, Maura. Played by…

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    The Force Entertains, but Does it Awaken Anything New?

    Spoilers Ahead Star Wars: The Force Awakens is pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be. It’s fun, well-produced, and has great visual effects and action scenes. Tonally, it feels reminiscent of the original trilogy but technologically compatible with today’s standards. It touts itself as a Star Wars for a new generation, and in that respect, it delivers admirably. But underneath its flashy veneer, does the movie have much in the way of substance? Its plot and themes are essentially a retread of those in the original trilogy. Like Lucas infamously said in one of his interviews about the prequels, “it’s like poetry, it rhymes.” No longer is…

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    Tips for Sticking to your 2016 Fitness Goals

    Let’s face it: working out consistently is hard. We all start off with good intentions, but life gets in the way. Work, school, kids, hobbies, or just unexpected social gatherings impede your daily routine and eat up that workout time. For years, I struggled with working out consistently. Having been a very active child, I always got my exercise through sports. But when that was no longer the case, it was hard to motivate myself to go to the gym because I was so conscious that I was exercising and I didn’t particularly enjoy it. My goal would always be to lose weight and when I didn’t see results right…