Sims 3 Coming 2009

The Sims is my favourite game. I am excited about the 3rd version (even though my laptop cannot possibly hold any more Sims games). Anyway, here is a trailer to give you an idea of what the game is about.

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What is Boxing Day?

Does anyone know what Boxing Day really is? A website I found discusses the origins and meanings of Boxing Day (snopes.com).

Wikipedia has a similar describtion of the holiday:
"Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong and countries in the Commonwealth of Nations with a mainly Christian population. In South Africa, this public holiday is now known as the Day of Goodwill. It is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society. Contemporary Boxing Day in many countries is now a "shopping holiday" associated with after-Christmas sales."



I didn't know that the United States doesn't have Boxing Day. And I also learned that it originated from the UK.

So those websites are worth checking out if you want to know what Boxing Day is really about.

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Tis the Season to Give

I had mentioned in an earlier post that a good gift idea is a donation in someone's name (see Christmas Gifts Under $10). It's a good gift for people that are hard to buy for or the person that has everything. The website Canadahelps is the perfect resource to do this. It provides access to make donations to over 80,000 Canadian charities. For a small transaction fee paid to Canadahelps, you can donate any amount you want, any way you want to.

You can do it online and the best part is you can get a Charity Gift Card. You choose an amount for the gift card and send it to the recipient. The recipient can then use the gift card to donate to the charity of their choice. I think this is a pretty neat idea.

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Nothing says Christmas like a Twisted Santa

An interesting and creepy article from the Globe and Mail.

Nothing says Christmas like a twisted Santa
JENNIE PUNTER
From Friday's Globe and Mail
December 19, 2008 at 3:54 AM EST

"Not everyone appreciates the Christmas season's candy-cane smiles and chocolate ho-ho-hos. Which is why a rare screening of Christmas Evil - originally titled the more appropriately sinister You Better Watch Out - should appeal to those who prefer naughty over nice during the holidays.

The obscure 1980 slasher film - which by today's standards plays more like a low-budget psychological drama - has become something of a cult classic in recent years. A 2006 special edition DVD includes audio commentary by none other than singular "bad taste" filmmaker John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray) who deems Christmas Evil "the best seasonal film of all time," adding, "I wish I had kids. I'd make them watch it every year and if they didn't like it they'd be punished!"

Only one 35 mm print of the film is known to exist and it travels with director Lewis Jackson, who brings his road show to a screening in Toronto next Tuesday (9:30 p.m., Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W., $13 for non-members, $10 for members). Lewis will also present a reel of deleted 35 mm scenes from the film and participate in an onstage discussion with critic Richard Crouse. And for last-minute gift needs, Jackson promises a satchel full of Christmas Evil merchandise.

The film opens on Christmas Eve, 1947, in suburban New Jersey as young Harry, his brother and mother quietly watch Santa Claus quaff some snacks, deliver gifts then disappear up the chimney again. Later that night, unable to sleep, Harry hears a creature stirring; but it's no mouse - it's Santa (actually his dad still in costume) on his knees groping his mother's garters. A stunned Harry goes to the attic where he smashes a snow globe and deliberately cuts his hand. Creepy music lets us know this kid's screwed for life." Read more

Discussion: I like movies but I have never heard of this one and it doesn’t sound like one I would like to watch. Does anyone else know about it?

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Christmas Movie Times

This is a listing of a few Christmas movies that will be on in the next few days.

1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
December 21
@ 8:00pm on CBC

2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2
December 20
@ 8:30pm on YTV

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
December 21
@ 7:30pm on CBC
December 23
@ 8:00pm on ABC

4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
December 20
@ 2:00pm Tree
@ 6:00pm YTV
@ 10:00pm Tree
December 21
@ 6:00pm on Tree
December 23
@ 12:30pm on Tree
@ 7:00pm on YTV
@ 8:00pm on Tree

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas
December 17
@ 7:00pm on YTV

See more Christmas Movie Listings at TVGuide.ca

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Christmas Q&A

This is just a fun Christmas Post.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, gift bags for awkward shapes and sizes and wrapping paper for others
2. Real tree or Artificial? I used to be against artificial trees for Christmas but now I prefer them, less mess, cheaper in the long run.
3. When do you put up the tree? 3-2 weeks before Christmas
4. When do you take the tree down? Less than a week after Christmas
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Can’t remember
7. Hardest person to buy for? My mom
8. Easiest person to buy for? My fiancee
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, or given in person
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Do not want to say
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Rudolph, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? In December
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Don’t think so
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Clementines
16. Lights on the tree? Yes
17. Favorite Christmas song? I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Stay at home Christmas morning then go to relatives for dinner
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Only three: Donner, Blitzen . . . are Dasher or Cupid names?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning for my family, eve for my finance’s family
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The awful Chipmunk songs
23. What theme or color are you using? No themes
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Not much

Discussion: Answer these questions on your own blog and provide a link in a comment to this post.

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How to Enjoy Christmas 101

Between finishing up the semester and all of the Christmas shopping in the crazy busy malls, sometimes we forget to enjoy the great things that Christmas brings.
Here's what I like to do around Christmas to get into the Christmas spirit. This is something I always leave too late and it seems like Christmas goes by so fast. So if you would like to be in the "Holiday mood" these are the things I would recommend.

Watch Christmas Movies
A Christmas Story
The Grinch
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Listen/Sing Christmas Songs
Silver Bells
I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas
Silent Night
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Jingle Bells

Relax with Pleasant Christmas Scents
Turkey dinner
Orange peels
Cinnamon
Baking

Engorge on

Christmas Foods
Turkey dinner
Clementine
Gingerbread Cookies
Candy Canes

Engage in Christmas Activities
Holiday crafts
Decorating the Christmas tree/house
Looking at Christmas lights
Baking and cooking

Surround Yourself with Christmas Gifts
Planning a shopping list
Making your own Christmas list
Christmas shopping
Wrapping gifts

Take The Time to Relax
One of my favourite things to do on a cold December day is to dress into comfortable clothes and warm socks, wrap myself in a blanket, and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate while reading a good book.

Happy Holidays Everyone

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Christmas Gifts Under $10

Simple Solutions: This is a list of gifts I think would be nice if you were planning on spending $10 or less:
Handmade craft
Cookie/Brownie/Soup mix in a jar
Donation
Gift Card
Journal and fancy pen
Plant in a pot
Coffees/Teas in a mug
Tin with homemade baked goods
Coupon booklet
Picture frame with family photos
Hairbrush, hair elastics, and hair clips
Nail Polish, nail file, and nail clippers
Basket with assorted fruits
Basket with assorted chocolates
Lottery ticket/Scratch tickets
Fancy candle and candle holder
Framed pressed flowers
Mini booze candies
Box of chocolates
Bag of almonds, pistachios, cashews, or an assortment
Stationary Set
Charm necklace/bracelet
Earrings
Lotions
Tin of cookies
A book
DVD
Poster
Makeup
Deck of cards and book about card games

Make it Fancy: These gifts can be decorated with nice wrapping to make them look nicer and more expensive. For example, you can buy a fancy $10 chocolate bar and then wrap it with shiny paper, tie ribbons around it, and add a homemade name tag. Here are some other ideas:
- use ribbon
- add bows
- use nice, or shiny, wrapping paper
- wrap jars and baskets in cellophane
- put gift in a box with tissue paper
- make Christmas card/label
- buy baskets/tins from dollar store to put gifts in
- add family photos for a personal touch

Remember: Keep an eye out for sales and bargains. You can often find really nice gifts at a much lower price. And whatever your budget, remember that people will understand that you’re a college student and you may not have a lot of extra cash. If you are not seeing certain people for a Christmas get-together, simply sending a card will do.

Resources: Here is a list of resources that havemore ideas for Christmas shopping on a budget.
Better Budgeting: 63 Gift Ideas for Under $10
XTreme Geek: Gifts Under $10
Gooseberry Patch: Christmas Gift Ideas
ezinearticles: Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under $10

Discussion: What is your favourite gift to give, under $10?

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Grocery Saving Tips

Don't let rising grocery prices get you down. There are several ways you can reduce your food bills; it just takes a little more effort.

Tips
1. Clip Coupons
2. Look for Sales
3. Compare Prices and Sales
4. Buy Cheaper Brands (i.e. President's Choice, No Name)
5. Cook Your Meals rather than Buying Frozen Premade Meals
6. Don't Eat Out
7. Make Your Own Coffee
8. Bring Lunches to Work/School
9. Don't Waste Food (save leftovers)
10. Write a Complete Grocery List and Stick to It (do not impulse buy)

These steps will require you to sacrifice conveinence and time for savings. But it may be worth it since our economy is currently facing a recession.

Resources
Visit these (Canadian) websites for more useful saving tips:

1. Free Grocery Saving Tips - saving tips, coupon tips, flyers from hundreds of stores, frugal recipes
2. Grocery Savings - create a grocery list and compare flyer prices
3. Simple Debt Free Living - not a Canadian site yet still very helpful
4. Frugal Shopper - finds coupons in your area

Health Check
Do not sacrifice your health for savings. Often junk food and frozen dinners can be cheaper than fresh foods. Your a college student, it's okay to eat a frozen dinner every now and then. Just keep in mind that you need to get your proper servings and nutrition for the day. Keeping a healthy diet will help you to ward of winter viruses and keep you focused on school work.

Discussion: Are clipping coupons really worth it?

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Grocery Prices are Going to Increase

I found an interesting article from cbc.com that says grocery prices, in Canada, are going to go way up in the near future. Higher grocery costs will surely be a problem for college students living away from home. While we probably will not cut back on the amount of food we are buying, we may find ourselves cutting back on munchies.

"Brace yourself, Canada, for higher grocery bills

Thursday, June 12, 2008, CBC News, Tom McFeat

Any outsider looking at Canada's most recent consumer price index would be forgiven for concluding that we have somehow managed to dodge the food inflation bullet currently ricocheting around the world.

People in most countries are struggling with unprecedented price hikes in the most widely used foods. But a recent look at the cost of living in this country finds that the typical Canadian food basket in April 2008 was just 1.2 per cent more expensive than it was a year earlier.

A little more than one per cent in a whole year! Well done, Canada, we're apparently immune from the laws of supply and demand that dictate food prices everywhere else.
Well, it's time to put away the streamers, the experts say. The warning bells are already sounding. Analysts, farmers and grocery chains all agree that those checkout bills are about to get noticeably bigger.

A look inside the monthly price data from Statistics Canada quickly reveals some of the reasons why. Beneath the broad-stroke appearance of benign food prices lie some important anomalies."

READ MORE

Now it is more important than ever to compare prices, use coupons and generally be a smart shopper. My next posting will offer some tips and resources about saving money at the grocery store.

Discussion: What are your thoughts about the article? Was it interesting or informative?

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Don’t Wait to Write Study Notes

Complicated Exam Schedule: This semester I had an unusual exam schedule. I had an exam on Thursday from 2pm to 5pm and another than night from 6pm to 9pm. The next morning I had an exam at 8am to 11am. Because the exams were so close together, and my work schedule wasn’t too flexible, I had only two days to study for all three exams.

Study Recommendations:

* I recommend at least 8 hours of studying per class for final exams.
* Focus on areas that the professor had highlighted during lectures/review and omit material that is not included on the exam. When you can, do self-test questions via the Web, your text book, past tests and assignments.
* I find it helpful to write study notes that highlight areas of difficulty. Or if it is a complex class, I will write summary notes on every chapter/lecture.

The Challenge: I did not have enough time to study as I would have liked.

The Solution: I prepared for this challenge by writing most of my notes near the end of the semester (before exams began). I am going to follow this tactic next year by writing study notes each week to avoid the panic and distress of trying to scramble down notes. This will also result in better quality notes because they are written as the material is learned and more time is available to write them. At the end of semester you can go over the notes and make changes (ie crossing out unnecessary info, or adding more detail).

Discussion: Do you recommend any quick study tips?

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8 Exam Preparation Tips

EXAMS ARE HERE! I hate this time of year. But there are some ways to reduce the stress. These tips/hints are some strategies that I use when preparing for college exams.

Conflicts: As soon as you know your exam schedule make sure there are no conflicts (i.e. exams overlapping or more than two in one day). Do not panic if this happens to you. It is usually very easy to change an exam date due to conflict. Contact either your professors or program coordinator immediately.

Create a Study Schedule: I find this to be the most crucial part. It is important, especially during high stress times, to have a structured plan of attack. Determine how many hours of studying you will need each day until the exam. And for every day write down specific study goals.

Example: Monday December 3rd: 2 hrs to finish writing notes for Organizational Behaviour, 4 hrs studying for Organizational Behaviour – Chapters 1- 7

Try to leave some flexibility in your schedule in case you underestimated your needed study time or something unexpected comes up. I try to leave one day a week open for an opportunity to catch up if necessary.

Writing Study Notes: It is always helpful to write concise study notes for each class. They can be really short (fitting the whole course on one page). You may only need to write keywords or phrases so you can go over as a refresher or to test yourself. But it is also a good idea to write a little more detail about things you have trouble remembering.

Remove Distractions: This is very important. While studying, do not listen to music, watch TV, play games, talk to friends, or think about anything but studying.

Study Groups: This is something I do not usually do because I prefer to study alone. But you may find it very effective to test one another after you have done some studying, or swap study notes.

Other Responsibilities: Don’t neglect your other responsibilities like your job or cleaning your apartment/dorm. Plan your study schedule around these duties.

Take a Break: Be aware of info overload. Studying for too long of a time can make your brain become numb so that you cannot possibly pack any more knowledge into your head. Plan to give yourself short, interval, and frequent breaks so you can refresh your mind.

Personalize: Use the study strategies and techniques that work for you. Everyone studies differently and that’s okay as long as your idea of studying isn’t drinking beer and gambling online.

Making a plan will allow you to put your studying needs in perspective so you will reduce the likelihood of running into problems. These techniques should help you to study without the panic attacks or pulling out your hair.

Good Luck on Your Exams!

Discussion: What studying tips do you recommend?

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Tuition Increases to Help Canada Out of Recession

The financial crisis in the US economy is inevitably affecting us here in Canada. McGuinty wants to increase tuition fees for Canadian students to create more funds for the government. But according to an article from Canadian Business Online this is not the best way to help the economy. This article outlines some of the challenges we (the students) arefacing because of the recession.

McGuinty tuition fee increases no way to pull province out of recession and into knowledge economy

Nov 5, 2008 - 14:25 EST
TORONTO, Nov. 5 /CNW Telbec/

By allowing university tuition fee hikes of 4 to 8 per cent every year, the McGuinty Liberals are going in the wrong direction to pull the province out of recession, says the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. Instead, the province needs to graduate more students in order to build a strong, knowledge-based economy that will take it out of its new "have-not" status within Canada, according to CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Fred Hahn.

"Every year that this government raises tuition fees means that less and less young people are entering the workforce with the skills needed to fuel the success of knowledge-based industries," Hahn told thousands of students gathered at Queen's Park today to stop tuition fee increases. "And with every tuition fee increase, more working families lose the opportunity to send their kids to university."
The McGuinty government . . . read more

Discussion: What do you think? Should tuition fees increase to better serve the economy in a time of crisis? Or is it more important to educate future graduates?

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Tagged Again!

So Beth has tagged me again. This time she made her own and it is very clever. It is based on the game Scattagories.


"Let's see how creative we all are.SCATTERGORIES. ...it's harder than it looks!
Take up the challenge! Erase my answers, enter yours, and tag a few people.Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things.. nothing made up!Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question & you can use the same answer twice."

WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Amanda
BOY NAME: Albert
4 LETTER WORD: Aunt
GIRL NAME: Anna
OCCUPATION: Animal Trainer
A COLOUR: Amber
SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Argyle socks
BEVERAGE : Apple Juice
FOOD : Asparagus
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Ass cream
A PLACE : Athens
REASON FOR BEING LATE: Airplane Crash
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: Ah Hell!

That was fun! Some were tricky.

Don't forget to visit Beth's Blog for more cool stuff. And click here for the original post.

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Book Meme Tag

My fellow blogger, Beth from Beth's Thoughts, has tagged me with this meme . . .

1. What book is on the left hand side of your computer or closest to the left hand side?

2. Are you reviewing it, is it your favourite, or is it there for some other reason and specify.

3. Go to page 38 and write down from the 2nd paragraph, the first 4 sentences.

4. Tag 4 friends and pass them this avatar.

Here is my answer:

1. Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire

2. I like to read and I liked the movie so I thought I'd give the book a try. So far it has been a kinda slow reading and its pretty weird.

3. There are only two sentences in this paragraph: " It was detachment that made this possible, a sublime loneliness with which Lestat and I moved through the world of moral men. And all material troubles passed from us, I should tell you the practical nature of it."

4. I'm probably not going to pass this on, but you may if you'd like.

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Free Recipe Websites

Here are a few of my favourite free websites for great recipes:

• Joy of Baking


• Allrecipes.com


• Better Homes and Gardens Recipes


• Taste of Home


• KraftCanada.com

Discussion: There are a lot more out there, just Goggle 'free recipes'. Which cooking sites are your favourite?

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Free Blog Backgrounds

I found some awesome (and free) blog backgrounds from The Cuteset Blog on the Block. It has a gallery of 283 backgrounds and is categorized into many styles/subjects. And they are really easy to install and they look professional.

Related Posts:
Free Blog Backgrounds

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Fairy I

This is the first fairy in the Fairy Series Competition. Please give her a name . . . you could be a winner!

This fairy was inspired by John Grimshaw’s ‘Spirit of the Night’ which I am planning as my next tattoo.

The Fairy’s Wandering by S. K. Lindeman

"The fairy’s wandering

her wings are light
her shadow so haunting
drips into night

but clutches of darkness

clasp not her wings

for fairy of lightness

flies upon dreams"

Competition Start Date: November 13, 2008
Competition End Date: December 13, 2008

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Fairy Series Competition!

About the Competition: I will be hosting a series of competitions in relation to the Fairy Art Series. The competition will be to name the fairy picture. All of them are in desperate need of names to be truly completed after two long years.

Winners: There will be one winner for each fairy competition. You can win multiple times. I will pick the names I like best. Each competition will end one month after they were originally posted.

Rewards: Since I cannot offer any tangible prizes I will award the winner of each competition with exposure on my blog. I will create a posting on Growing Pains that highlights your blog (if you are a winner) including an overview and any other aspects that you request.

If you have any questions just add a comment to this post and I will reply promptly.

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Fairy Art Series

About the Series: Over the past few weeks I will be posting some of my own drawings of fairies (which lack official names).

About the Drawings: They are very simple drawings that I did by hand and then scanned into my computer to colour in and add effects.

The Dark Side: I drew these a couple of years ago when I was going through a "dark" stage (that hasn't completely warn off yet). So they are a little on the goth side but still kinda cute.

Not Obsessed: I am not a 'fairy' person . . . I do not even know why I was drawing them in the first place. I think that I just wanted to try drawing people because that's what I was learning in art class at the time (high school).

Added Bonus: Along with the pictures I will add some random fairy-oriented content to the posts just for fun.

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Winter Blues . . .

Winter Approaching: Here in Southern Ontario it is starting to get cold. We just had a couple of really warm days (unseasonally warm for November) but it's all over now. It snowed once before Halloween but it didn't stay. Each day is getting colder. Soon there will be tons of snow and I will have to dress in dozens of layer just to go outside and i'll catch a couple of severe colds/flus.



Missing the Sun: Usually I am happy when summer is over because I am very uncomfortable in hot and humid temperatures. But this summer was mild and I had a lot of fun in the sun. So now (for the first time) I don't want the summer to be over.



Autumn Gone in a Flash: Fall is my favourite season. I love all the fall colours and wearing cozy sweaters. But it wasn't long this year, as usual, before the leaves just died and fell off the trees. Winter is approaching to quickly!




On the Bright Side: There are a lot of things I like about winter though. I like the sun but I elso enjoy the eerie comfort of a dark and cloudy winter day. The snow and landscape is beautiful. I love coming home after being in the cold and dressing into soft and dry clothes. . . and best of all warm socks! And of course I love Christmas even though I think people (and mainly corporations) go way overboard on the holly jolliness to soon.



In the End: I cannot change the weather no matter how much I wish I could. Like many people I will never be completely happy with the weather . . .winter is too cold and windy . . . summer is too hot and smoggy. Every year I just focus on the good aspects of each season because there is no point wishing for a different season all of the time.

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Recommended Movie: Apocalypto

I was reminded of a movie I really like and thought I would share my comments with you. Apocalypto is an amazingly intense and gorey movie. I am not a big fan of Mel Gibson, and I haven't seen Passion of the Christ yet, but I love this movie. The graphics and camera work are beautiful but their is an eerie and sad mood about it (the official website is really cool too).
Here is a short plot summary that I got from IMDB:

"In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan Kingdom, a young warrior known as Jaguar Paw has been captured and taken to the great Mayan city, where he faces a harrowing end. Driven by the power of his love for his wife and son, he makes an escape to rescue them and ultimately save his way of life."

If you like the sort of movies and things that I do (see my profile) then I would recommend this movie to you! I'll just let you know that it is inanother language so you have to read the subtitles and it's probably not appropriate for children.

You can click on the image at the top of this post to watch its trailer on YouTube.

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The 2008 US Election Results Are In!

I am not a big follower of politics but I must say that I am very pleased that Obama has won! I'm so glad that I was around for such a big part of American history. I believe that this is proof that we (US and Canada) are headed for big social changes and our future is headed in a good direction.

Click here to watch Obama's Victory Speech.

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Duggar Family: Crazy Courtship Ritual

The Duggar family is on a show called 17 Kids and Counting. I was watching it the other day and I found one of their practices very interesting. The oldest son in the family was in the process of "courting" a young women. This meant that no dating was permitted. He asked the girl's father for permission to get to know his daughter better. After what I think was a couple of years he then asked the father's permission for his daughter's hand in marriage. He proposed to her but the most affection he felt comfortable with was putting his arm on her shoulder. Later that evening he asked the father's permission to hold his fiancee's hand. The first kiss and intimate relations were to be experienced with marriage. Also, even after they were engaged, they could not go anywhere alone; they had to have a chaparone.

While I respect these families' choice to ensue courtship I cannot help but have strong negative feelings about this. To save the first kiss for marriage sounds fantasic and respectful but I could not imagine what it would be like for grown adults to not be allowed to express their love to each other. And they do not have any privacy . . . and they are adults! I do not believe that sex and kissing should be held off until after marriage. People should have the freedom to do as the please with their bodies. It is a beautiful way to express a person's love to another and no one should be ashamed of that for any reason.

I also find it unfortunate that this process of courtships seems to only value the men's decisions. He was asking the father for permission and not her mother. I think that people should do what makes themselves and others happy. If the Duggar women want to be courted I think that is fine. But I cannot imagine the parents being okay with their daughters rejecting this practice and choosing to date. When I have children I want them to have respect for their partners but I would put enough trust in them that they will do this on their own without being pressured into it.

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Funny Scary Movies

These are some of my favourite movies:

Shaun of the Dead

"Life isn't too good for Shaun (Pegg). He lives with his best friend Ed (Frost), neglects his girlfriend Liz (Ashfield) and despises his step-dad (Nighy). When Liz dumps Shaun, he vows to get his life back on track. Unfortunatly, this is the day that the dead has decided to come back to life. With a cricket bat and Ed by his side, Shaun sets out to rescue those he loves and those he doesn't love, and heads to the safest place he knows...the Winchester."

Evil Dead II

"A sequel/remake of the film The Evil Dead. A young man named Ash takes his girlfriend Linda to a secluded cabin, and plays back a professor's tape recorded recitation of passages from the Book of the Dead. The spell calls up an evil force from the woods which turns Linda into a monstrous Deadite, and threatens to do the same to Ash. When the professor's daughter and her entourage show up at the cabin, the night turns into a non-stop, grotesquely comic battle with chainsaw and shotgun on one side, demon horde and flying eyeball on the other"

Army of Darkness

"In this sequel to the Evil Dead films, a discount-store employee ("Name's Ash. Housewares.") is time-warped to a medieval castle beset by monstrous forces. Initially mistaken for an enemy, he is soon revealed as the prophecised savior who can quest for the Necronomicon, a book which can dispel the evil. Unfortunately, he screws up the magic words while collecting the tome, and releases an army of skeletons, led by his own Deadite counterpart. What follows is a thrilling, yet tongue-in-cheek battle between Ash's 20th Century tactics and the minions of darkness."

These movie plot reviews are from the Internet Movie Database. I like movies alot and I like to use this site to look things up. For example, when I'm watching an animated movie and I recognize a celebrity's voice but cannot think of their name I can just look it up on IMDB to find my answers.

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Scariest Movies

I had mentioned I like to watch horror movies on Halloween. I used to (in my early teens) love all horror movies and no amount of gore or disturbing material could upset me. But now things have changed. I can barely handle even the tamest ones, it’s embarrassing. Horror movies that frighten me the most, but I’ll make an exception for on Halloween, are:

Zombie Movies
- 28 Weeks Later
- 28 Days Later
- Day of the Dead
- Dawn of the Dead

Japanese Movies
- Ringu
- Ringu 0
- Rasen
- Eye 2
- The Grudge

Scary Movies I will not watch under ANY circumstance:
- American remake of the Ring
- American remake of the Grudge
- Nightmare on Elmstreet
- any Saw movies

I know, I'm no fun.

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It’s Halloween!

Halloween . . . one of my favourite holidays. Unfortunately, I have to work tonight so I won’t be able to hand out candy to kids. I’d like to go out to a bar afterwards but my budget is tight so I’ll just stay home with my boyfriend and watch horror movies instead. Oh yeah, and have a couple of drinks! Every year I carve a pumpkin but because of my school and work schedule I haven’t had time to do it. So I’m just going to carve a quick face or something. It’s probably going to be a low key night.

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Is it okay to skip class?

What do you think . . . Is it okay to skip class?

In the Beginning: I start off each semester with a vow that I will go to every class and stay for the whole class. But that promise is worn off very quickly sometimes. This semester I will usually go to class but only stay for the first hour and a bit (each lecture is 3 hours). And sometimes I skip the class altogether.

Excuses: I think this is largely because the classes are pretty boring this year. The professors just cannot keep my interest and attention for too long. I have had classes that I find very interesting, its not like I have a problem with paying attention to things. Also skip class because there are a lot of distractions in my life. Not all of them are major but I have work and money to worry about. But I also am distracted by the fun things I want to do like reading, playing games, watching movies, going out, blogging, etc.

On the Bright Side: There is one class that I have not missed once this semester. . . financial management. Accounting and finance is not my strong area. I find these classes to be the most difficult so I go to learn as much as I can and get clarification. I do all of my homework (that will be graded), I do enough studying, and my grades are really good and stable.

My Thoughts: Even though I am paying to go to class I do not take advantage of the valuable resources that can be obtained by actively listening to lectures and that makes me feel kind of guilty. But I am completely happy with my grades so far (on the honour role) and the semester is almost over.

I think it is not the responsible thing to do but I feel that I am getting what I need from the courses and I am proud of my accomplishments. My learning style does not always include verbal reinforcement. Most of the time my best learning comes from just reading the text.

Your Thoughts: What do you think? Is it wrong that I am not going to class? Or is it okay? Does it matter?

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Rate My Life Quiz

I stumbled apon a blog (Flight of the Bestalked Pickles) that mentioned a cute little quiz Rate My Life. It rates different aspects of your life out of a score of 10. I tried it for fun and these were my results:

Overall Life: 6.3

Mind: 5.9
Body: 4.5
Spirit: 6
Friends/Family: 5.3
Love: 9.2
Finance: 6.9

My score is prettly low. I would have thought that my mind and family/friend rating higher but I was happy to see that my love rating was so high!

You should check it out if you have time. It is not the shortest quiz in the world . . . it goes more indepth. It would probably take no longer than 5 minutes. I'm also unsure of its credibility but it's interesting anyway.

TAKE THE RATE MY LIFE QUIZ

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Awesome Blog Gadgets!

This is a post for all you bloggers out there. I was told about a site called WidgetBox. It is so cool. There are so many amazing widgets and you don't need to know HTML to add them to your blog! I recommend that you check it out right away.

Click Here to Visit WidgetBox!

It's so much fun. I just added the first widget I saw, the cyber-pet monkey that I named Laurel for no reason at all. I will be adding more of them soon.

Related Posts:
Free Blog Backgrounds

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The Ultimate Student Cookbook

Recently I bought a cookbook that is geared towards college students. It is written by Silvana Franco whom I believe is from the UK. It is full of recipes that are cheap, healthy and contain ingredients that you would normally keep in your kitchen. Each recipe makes enough servings for one or two people. The recipes are very, very easy to follow and there are very useful tips throughout the book. Once I am able to try some of the recipes out i'll let you know how they were and i'll post my favourites. If you're a student or just have limited cooking equipment I would recommend this book to you. It's also great if you just need some fast meals.

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I'm a List-aholic!

One thing you may like to know about me is that I like to write lists. I write lists for everything even if it may seem redundant to some people. This helps me to organize my thoughts and allows me to be prepared as possible. I am not very spontaneous so I plan out almost everything that I need to do in a day.

For example, if I am going to the school library I will write out a list of everything I need to get done there. This also helps me to manage my time so I have more time to do other things.

These lists are often very detailed. When I go shopping I do not just write out a shopping list I write out which stores I am going to visit, in chronological order, and even the exact times I need to be waiting for the city bus.

And I do not only write lists and plans to be prepared. Sometimes I do them for fun, which I know sounds pathetic, but it helps me feel more confident about my future and events. For example, I plan on moving out of my parents house soon and into an apartment with my fiancee. This has resulted in a lot of lists! I have written dozens of projected budgets so I will have an idea of the money I will need under different circumstances. I have written grocery lists including every item I could possibly need to start out. And lists of all other things I will need to buy at first like kitchen supplies and toiletries.

I will likely post some of these lists in the near future because maybe they will inspire you.

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My School: Laurentian University

I have been attending the university of Laurentian for the past 3 years. I take my studies at Georgian College because it is local and it allows me to live with my parents and save on rent and other costs. I do plan on moving out soon and i'll be talking about that process later. I am going for my Bachelor of Business Administration undergraduate degree which is a 4 yr program. I don't plan on doing any more shcooling after this but right now I am specializing in marketing. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do with this degree. But I will probably start in sales and work my way up. You can click on the image below to visit the Laurentian Univeristy website.

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Communication

To get the most out of this blog you should join in or start discussions. By discussing the posts you may find it more interesting and useful. I will be talking about fun topics mainly, but will touch on some serious matters too. You can ask questions or make remarks about the content I have written. So please, add a comment to any posting and voice your opinions.

You can also follow this blog so you will be notified when new postings are made. If you find this blog useful tell your friends!

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Welcome Readers,

This blog is like a hangout for anyone in college, preparing for college, or just moving away from home. You can read all about living on your own, coping with school, and of course having fun. Visit Coping with College for games, tips, resources, and interesting discussions. We'll discuss topics such as school, work, cooking, hobbies, music, news, and much more.

This blog will help to make your transition through college as stress-free as possible.

BE COOL, STAY IN SCHOOL!

Amanda (3rd year LU)

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