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Entertainment

Why You Should Like The Hunger Games

March 22, 2012

by Shannon Lintott

With the hype ever expanding and the fans quickly growing in numbers, The Hunger Games opens this Friday, March 23 in cinemas across the nation.

If you weren’t aware of that, I honestly assume you must live under a giant rock in the middle of a desert. If you don’t care at all or may be annoyed by the explosion of this franchise you are really missing out. I myself am a big fan and since reading the books I have been on the web almost daily looking at photos and trailers and watching interviews.

It’s understandable if you feel the need to avoid The Hunger Games entirely, but let me give you some heavy facts that may convince you to pick up the book or head to the theatres this weekend (if you weren’t already). Here are five reasons why you should like The Hunger Games:

1. The Hunger Games is NOT Twilight.

Not even close. I know this for a fact as I have read the Twilight books and own all of the movies (except the last one…I don’t want to talk about it). First, the main point of the story has nothing to do with a love triangle.

Two, it’s more science fiction than fantasy with less vampires and more post-apocalyptic edge to the tale. It’s about politics and a look into our future rather than if loving a vampire is safe or not. Three, Bella is a silly teenaged girl with girl problems while Katniss is a strong, independent and thought provoking individual.

2) Katniss is a great role model.

I feel like I would not be alone if I moaned and groaned over the lack of a good role model for teenagers and young adults in this day and age. Watching MTV is like lighting my hair on fire and putting the flames out with lemon juice.

I do love reading young adult literature and it’s rare to find such a powerful female lead who is as smart and unselfish as Katniss. She sacrifices herself for her family. She doesn’t consider marriage because bringing a child into her unsafe world seems like insanity.

While she is hot tempered at times, she reflects on past mistakes and takes the time to honour the feelings of those around her. I could go on and on but you get the point. She’s awesome.

3. Forget Katniss, Jennifer Lawrence is a great role model.

I know this isn’t exactly about The Hunger Games but Jennifer Lawrence, the actor playing Katniss in the movies, is something to talk about. You may have seen her being awkward and hilarious in several interviews over the last couple of weeks and if not then I highly suggest YouTube’ing some. Coming from a twenty-something female it is CRUCIAL that Jennifer popped up at this time.

Girls everywhere needed someone like her to look up to instead of reality TV stars or way-to-perfect-to-be-real divas. She is sweet, witty, clumsy and just herself at every moment. She gets nervous and says hilarious things, just like anyone else would her age, and for that we all love her for it.

4. It makes you think.

There are a lot of things to worry about right now, but we should always be thinking about the future. I don’t mean just as an individual, but as a society. The Hunger Games looks at where our culture could be headed and gives an exciting and easy to follow outlook into a not so unrealistic future. It makes you stop and wonder about the parallels in this book and our current way of living. Just think about it.

5. It’s getting people to read.

Reading plays such a major role in our every day lives and for children across the globe these books gives them a chance to read. With all the hype around The Hunger Games it’s almost forcing kids to reading. I couldn’t think of a better ending to peer pressure than with someone opening a book.

Also, anyone can read these books. They are entertaining, fast paced and easy to read. Heck, you could read them twice in one week (and I know people who have done that). It’s getting people talking about books, which is no mere feat.

There are so many other reasons, but these are the five that matter most to me – just another fan. The characters and story is really interesting. I dare you to read the first few chapters of The Hunger Games and NOT find it interesting. Even writing this article is making me want to read them again!

Or better yet, wait until the movie hits theatres this weekend and then rush out to a bookstore near you, because once you become a fan of The Hunger Games, there is no turning back.

“May the odds be ever in your favor!”

Shannon Lintott works in production at a professional theatre company in Toronto. A recent graduate of the Ryerson Performance Production BFA program, she spends her free time exploring the internet, taking photographs, reading or writing on one of her numerous and addictive websites. The majority of her time is spent watching movies and reviewing them on her movie review blog I Like (good) Movies. Follow Shannon on Twitter.

TV & Movies

Two-Year-Old Girl Sings Adele

March 21, 2012

A two-year-old girl sang along to an Adele song on YouTube and the video has gone viral!

Makena Fedorick of Grande Prairie, Alberta, has become a YouTube sensation after being filmed singing Someone Like You by Adele.

The adorable girl’s cover of the song has had over 3.5 million views since the video was uploaded on March 6^th.

Way to go Makena!

Celebrities

Is Reese Witherspoon Pregnant?

March 21, 2012

Although she hasn’t confirmed it herself, Us Weekly reports that Reese Witherspoon is pregnant.

A source told Us Weekly that the actress, 35, is three months pregnant but has no plans to make an official announcement.

If it’s true, this will be Reese’s third child and her first with second husband Jim Toth.

Photos of the actress lately seem to show a baby bump – or are the tabloids just having a field day?

The actress has talked about wanting to have a child with Toth, 41, a CAA agent who she married a year ago.

“I would love that. I’m really happy. I feel really good and I’m at a really good place in my life,” she said.

“Nothing’s more important for me than family. I definitely love having a career, but I just love being a mom – it’s how I was raised.”

Reese is proud mom to two children, Ava, 12, and Deacon, 8, from her first marriage to actor Ryan Phillippe.

Celebrities

Adriana Lima is Pregnant With Her Second Baby!

March 21, 2012

It looks like Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima is catwalking for two – for the second time! Just last month, the stunner was spotted in Miami promoting a new lingerie line for Victoria’s Secret, and showing no signs of a baby bump.

However, on March 20^th the gorgeous 30-year-old Brazilian supermodel confirmed that her and husband Marko Jaric are expecting their second bundle of joy. She took the news to Twitter with the following tweet:

“Big news everyone! Marko and I are so happy to share some wonderful news with all of you! #ImPregnant.”

Lima did not say what the baby’s gender is or when it is expected to be born. She did tell People magazine: ‎”Boy or girl, we’ll be excited either way. As long as our baby is healthy, we’re happy!”

Lima met Jaric, 33, at a party in Los Angeles in 2006 and she immediately “knew he was the one and [I] could see myself married to him and with a big family.” And was she ever right! The couple got married on Valentine’s Day in 2009.

Soon after the honeymoon, they learned they were expecting their first child, daughter Valentina, who is now 2 and cannot wait to be a big sister.

Lima stated “the entire family is very excited, especially Valentina. She keeps blowing kisses to my belly and saying, ‘Kisses for the baby.’”

Lima continues to work and did appear in November’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The top model says she loves bringing little Valentina along on the job. As much as Adriana enjoys modeling , she has already proclaimed motherhood as being the best job.

“The best job in the world for me is being a mom,” she says. “I never thought I could love so much. I always thought, does unconditional love exist? Now I know it does because I feel it.

Congrats to the beautiful couple on the upcoming addition to their family!

Health

Israel Passes Law Banning Underweight Models

March 20, 2012

A modeling revolution?

Models in Israel must have a healthy body mass index (or BMI, a measure of weight proportionate to height) to be hired for a modeling job.

A new law passed on Monday requires that male and female models in Israel must have a BMI of no less than 18.5, which is a standard used by the World Health Organization. Or they must obtain a note from a doctor saying they are not underweight before they can be hired for a modeling job.

Models who “look underweight” will not be allowed under the new legislation. Also, advertisers must disclose whether they have altered images to make models look slimmer using graphic programs like Photoshop.

Israeli lawmakers are hoping that the legislation will help encourage a healthier body image.

What do you think? Is this extreme or necessary?

Holidays

First Day of Spring! Spring Quotes

March 20, 2012

It’s the first day of spring! The vernal equinox – or spring equinox as many call it – means “of spring” and “equal night” in Latin wherein day and night are of equal length.

Here are some first day of spring quotes to welcome Spring!

It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. ~Margaret Atwood

Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer. ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. ~Mark Twain

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ~Proverb

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson

Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day. ~W. Earl Hall

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~Anne Bradstreet

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~Hal Borland

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world. ~Virgil A. Kraft

Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment. ~Ellis Peters

The naked earth is warm with Spring, And with green grass and bursting trees

Leans to the sun’s kiss glorying, And quivers in the sunny breeze. ~Julian Grenfell

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. ~George Santayana

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. ~William Shakespeare

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!” ~Robin Williams

Featured

Understanding Your Baby’s Development: A Different Perspective

March 20, 2012

by Monika Meulman

Today’s hip parents know the ins and outs of bringing up baby and child, almost seamlessly right?

Well, okay maybe not be we sure have tons of references, guides, sites, and friends to ask don’t we? From the best organic food, to the best time to read to your child, we can figure out how to support our children and help them grow.

Or do we?

As the spirituality movement grows, yoga infiltrates daycares, there is another parenting paradigm to consider: the energetic development of your baby. According to the Indian system using Chakras (Chakra is a Sanskrit word for spinning wheel), our bodies develop energy centers from birth to adulthood.

The Chakra system is very detailed but the basic tenets are that we grow, we learn behaviours and explore the world not just physically but also energetically. Each stage of development is directly related to our spiritual and energetic growth. The Chakras are specific zones of energy in the body. They are also associated with specific colors, beliefs, and behaviors. Understanding the chakras can help in understanding your baby’s development.

There are 7 main Chakras:

Chakra 1 – color red – right to be – develops from birth to 6 months

Chakra 2 – color orange – right to feel – develops from 6 months to 2 years

Chakra 3 – color yellow – right to act – develops from 2 to 4 years

Chakra 4 – color green – right to give/receive love – develops from 4-7 years

Chakra 5 – color blue – right to speak– develops from 7-12 years

Chakra 6 – color indigo – right to see – develops from 12-teenager

Chakra 7 – color purple – right to understand – develops from teenage yrs to death

Using the basic guide of the chakra energy centers, we can see that they coincide directly with the basic needs of babies and children. A four-month-old needs to feed round the clock and mostly eats, sleeps, and poops. A young baby is clearly ‘asserting’ his need ‘to be’ by crying whenever he is hungry, tired, or uncomfortable. A baby that isn’t fed regularly learns pretty quickly that it’s not a safe world out there.

Likewise, the Terrible Twos, as we call them, are directly related to the second chakra development – the right to feel. An 18-month-oldwho just learned to walk and run wants to touch everything. She wants to explore the world before her, and at last, she can get around by herself. What an accomplishment.

As parents, we dutifully block off most of the world and repeatedly say “don’t touch!” or “no, no, no, stop”. We wonder why our two-year-old simply doesn’t understand! Why the crying? Why the sad face? Uhm, well mom, a toddler needs to experience the world first hand and unfortunately, our complicated, technical and often dangerous world, makes this difficult for young one.

Using the Chakra system to understand our child, we see that our two-year-old is learning the ‘right to feel’ everything. If she is not allowed to touch most things, she is learning that it is not ok to get in touch the world. As she gets a little older, say two and a half, she is also developing her ‘right to act’ (third chakra) which means she will bolt out the door, the minute you put shoes on her and not look back, or not even bother with shoes. Arms up in the air, we are frantically calling them back to home base!

First Chakra development is all about surviving in this world. The second one is all about touching everything for the first time. The third Chakra is being a part of our amazing world and doing something, anything. The fourth Chakra teaches your child the beauty of love, and by the time they are tweens they are flexing their fifth Chakra that tells you exactly how they feel, in words, not so pretty ones sometimes.

Our children are not defiant. They are not misbehaving. They are actually just developing their sense of being in this world. Using the Chakra system as a guide, it becomes much easier to see, where your child is going to go next. The sixth Chakra helps your children see the world as it truly is. It is a time of exploration and putting the pieces all together. A teenager struggles not only because of the hormones, or the sheer immensity of homework, or the newness of relationships, but also because he can see the world as a whole for the first time.

That’s a lot to take in.

But if we look at the Chakra system and understand it, it can help in understanding your child.

Monika Meulman is a certified aromatherapist and healer and has worked in complementary health for over 15 years. At Healing Muse, she does aromatherapy massage, foot treatments, body readings, intuitive healing treatments and reiki sessions. Monika is also the president of The Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists (cfacanada.com) and Founder of the Lakeshore Environmental Gardening Society. Follow her on Twitter.

Entertainment

21 Jump Street Review: A Refreshing Blast From the Past

March 20, 2012

by Joseph Tiberia

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum might be my new favorite comedy duo in quite some time. Much like Will Farrell and John C. Riley, they both get the comedy AND create timeless characters that make you wish were real.

21 Jump Street is about Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum), former classmates who meet again at police academy. Schmidt was a smart misfit while Jenko was a dim-witted jock. They join forces to help each other out and become partners after they graduate, however, after not reciting the Miranda rights to a suspect, they are reassigned to 21 Jump Street.

They are introduced to Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) who explains the division specializes in infiltrating high schools and were selected because of their young appearances. They are put into undercover where they realize many things in high school have changed since they were students. They start to investigate the school for a new drug that killed one of the students before it starts to spread.

Unlike the show, which talked about the serious issues of the era (AIDS or Racial Tension), the film takes us on a comedic journey about what its like to be able to go back to high school and redo the experience again knowing what lies beyond high school and college.

You need to be a fan of dumb comedies and an appreciation for Jonah Hill’s comedy to truly enjoy this movie. My grandmother saw this film because it was the only available movie to see for her and she hated it. I don’t blame her for not getting the humor Jonah Hill is for the new generation of kids but at the same time pay tribute to the original series (which I am a fan) and those who remember the show will see many moments from the series in the film.

Even though there are amazingly dumb moments in the film, the characters never truly become one dimensional; both characters transform into a better form than what they originally started out in the film. This is where it became so refreshing for me as both a film reviewer and audience member.

Often Hollywood makes films where the characters don’t change in the end and this kind of insults my intelligence level, why can’t we have more films where an “arc” has happened with the characters and not just a simple straight line across the board? The film was a great “Where’s Waldo” game of actors, this helped reassure me while watching the film that script must have been written well enough to get this many actors involved.

The hard R rating is appropriate for the film; many F bombs are dropped in the film especially by both lead actors and amazingly by Ice Cube. There are some nude scenes that are very raunchy however, they are very brief. The best moments in the film are defiantly when Tatum and Hill are just bouncing off one another in an almost spar of comedic words that will definitely leave you in stitches.

I recommend leaving the kids at home with a sitter and going out to see this film. 21 Jump Street possibly has kicked off the year in the best way possible, we have one of the greatest year’s of cinema about to happen with not only 3 top highly anticipated comic book movies coming out (Avengers, The Amazing Spider-man, and The Dark Knight Rises) also we have new films from Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Rian Johnson, Wes Anderson, Tony Scott, and these are just naming a few of the big name releases.

Joseph S. Tiberia is a recent graduate of Adelphi University with a major in Video/Film Production. He has interned for Half Yard Production and NYC’s Face-Off comedy troupe in the past. He specializes in cinematography freelance work. Joseph is also a movie reviewer for Totalfilmnerd.com. His favorite film of all time is A BitterSweet Life.

Featured

5 Tips for Me Time

March 19, 2012

by Christy Laverty

There is no doubt Moms work hard. We work outside the home, we work inside the home, we take care of our kids and our husband or partner, we take care of the kids at the school, friends and somewhere near the bottom (at the actual bottom), we find ourselves.

Moms are notorious for putting themselves last and that is just not good. It is important to take care of you. Moms have a lot on their plates and in order to get it all done we need to take care of ourselves!

Here are just a few tips on how I think we Moms can take a few minutes of ME time to relax and feed our minds, bodies and spirit. And what is great is everything on this list is no cost or low cost. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to nourish yourself.

1. Put Your Feet Up

With all that we do every single day, finding time to actually take a load off and put up your feet can be hard but it is necessary. I know I can go, and go and go and by late afternoon I realize I haven’t sat down all day. It is a simple thing to do but so important to slow down and sit and relax. Find 15 minutes every day to relax, grab a coffee, tea or cold glass of water and just RELAX. The dishes and laundry can wait 15 minutes for you to take a breath.

2. Read a Book

This is a good one to go hand in hand with putting your feet up. I love to read and don’t do it enough. I don’t steal enough time for me to read. Reading always takes me away and helps me relax.

3. Take a Walk

This is important to do. I am guilty of forgetting to do this but exercise is so essential for all aspects of mind, body and spirit. I say walk because it is something just about everyone can do, no matter your fitness level. It will get you out of the house, out in the fresh air and will get you moving. You don’t need to walk for hours but a short walk is a great place to start. Instead of driving to mail a letter or go to your neighbourhood bank branch walk!

4. Take a Bath

This will give you a chance to actually close that bathroom door and have a few moments all to yourself. Toss in a little bubble bath and pamper yourself. You deserve it for all that you do for everyone in your life.

5. Find a Friend

Everyone needs a friend or two in their lives. A solid support system or network is priceless. I just had brunch with two girlfriends I have known since high school (for anyone who is counting that is over twenty years). It is so great to meet up with them and talk, share and commiserate with them. I always feel lighter, happier and more joyful after meeting with friends. Take a few minutes to call a friend, email a friend, have coffee or even lunch with a friend. Not matter how you do it just connect with friends, the love you share will lift you up and support you in your busy life.

Christy Laverty is a mother and an editor for a Toronto all news radio station. She also does freelance writing for several parenting magazines. Visit Christy’s blog where she updates the trials, tribulations, and fun of being mom of two beautiful girls.

Featured

5 Looks for a Night Out

March 19, 2012

Is it time for a night on the town or a date night? Girls’ night out?

Wondering what to wear to look fab on a night out?

Depending on where you go and how you feel, you could throw on a pair of dark jeans and a flirty top with high heels or opt for a daring, sexy dress.

Here are 5 looks for a night out!

Forever 21 lace shirt

Forever21.com $20

Mango ripped skinny jeans

Mango.com £43

Vince Camuto suede booties

Shoptheshoebox.com $75

ALDO leather handbag

Asos.com $72

Dorothy Perkins yellow gold bangle

Dorothyperkins.com $11

H&M earrings – hm.com

Ombre floral dress

Cyfashio.com $89.99

Jessica Simpson Weema – Purple Potion

Heels.com $99

Resolution Clutch

Coast-stores.com $70

W.A.T Vintage Style Sparkling Crystal Chandelier Earrings

Whatsabouttown.com $29

Kenneth Jay Lane Bracelet

Zappos.com $67