Tis the season, to be jolly..err…file taxes

It’s that time of the year again, no, not Christmas, but Tax Season. Yes, that time we all dread, the time where we dig through piles of paper, looking for receipts of the previous year to file. Should you file a tax return, read ahead to find out!

Dear John…

For many readers who have fallen in love with Nicholas Sparks’ stories and writing, the release of Dear John is a big thing. Many people know Nicholas Sparks as the author of The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Message in a Bottle and Nights in Rodanthe. But some of his other books, like The Wedding (A sequel to the Notebook), At First Sight, True Choice, and a Bend in the Road are often talked about.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Like other holidays, Valentine’s Day has become one of the most commodified holidays of North American culture (next to Christmas). Did you know that Valentine’s Day is the second biggest card day of the year next to Christmas. A billion cards are sent that day. A BILLION!! And whose sending these cards? WOMEN. “Women buy 85 per cent of them. But men spend twice as much money at Valentine’s. Women are buying the cards, but then men are buying roses and chocolates and paying for dinner.” Which makes sense, I see all my little cousins writing cards for school, and multiply my cousins by more than half the elementary school population, and voila, you’ve hit a jackpot.

Stress at work and your failing health

Stressed at work? Too much to do, and so little control? Not good for you, this study conducted in the US has found that “Women with stressful jobs are risking their health as much as they would if they smoked or took no exercise.” That’s pretty detrimental to your health! Who thought a job could kill you so much.

Lost and Found

You know, sometimes when you lose something, you feel so anxious until you find it. The moment you realize, you panic, and try to retrace your steps trying to figure out where you misplaced it. You search everywhere it could possibly be, you ask everyone if they’ve seen it. Then, a week goes by, you still search for it, but not as hard…

Disneyland, I’m a princess?

I grew up with Disney, I grew up imaging I was Cinderalla, Snow White, Aurora, Belle, Mulan, Jasmine, Pocahontas, you name it, in my mind I was every Disney princess. Or, I thought I was every Disney princess, except for one minor fact, they didn’t look like me.

Unreliable

It is just me, or are so many things in life just unreliable when it snows? I mean, I wake up to find snow on the ground, when I swear just a few days ago there was none, and I probably can safely say that in a few days there won’t be any. This whole global warming is making the weather patterns of the world so unstable. But because the snow decides to fall, the buses that as an excuse to be unreliable, the 7:30 bus slowly creeps its way at my stop at 7:50. (And cites snow for the excuse, I mean, leave earlier!)

The story of the Greek Narcissus

You use this word to describe the people who are so into themselves, and are selfish, egoistic and vain. (Think Snow White’s stepmother). Do you know where the word comes from? Narcissus was a young man, who nymph Echo liked. But, he rejected her, and other beautiful young maidens and goddesses.

And I nominate…………the Internet!

The internet has been nominated for a 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Can you believe it, the Internet. By no means do I want to undercut the value of the Internet, but common, do we have a shortage of people that we need to nominate the Internet? This is ridiculous. What’s next, Facebook?

Pedestrian Sundays

In the heart of the urban city of Toronto, lies the hidden community of Kensington Market. Its boundaries extend from Spadina to Bathurst, and College to Dundas. Founded by the Denison family, it has now become home to 2,456, 805 people, and consisting of a large immigrant population. Having spent some time in the cafes in Kensington, I was introduced to a community event: Pedestrian Sundays.