I felt like Julia Robert in Pretty Woman, only instead of being a hooker I was just a teenager with a few facial piercings and messy hair.
Last week was my high school convocation, and for this special event my mother totally dispproved of me wearing my everyday attire - army pants and a Sex Pistols T-shirt.
So I got my paycheque and went to the Eaton Centre to buy an outfit. I walked into many expensive stores thinking I might as well buy something nice, only to get the cold shoulder from the sales staff.
It wasn't the first time this has happened to me, but it's getting worse lately, and it's really getting on my nerves.
Last Mother's Day I had just gotten a job and thought I'd buy my mom something really nice. When I finally got the attention of the salesperson at a well-known jewellery storye, she tried to tell me I couldn't afford anything there. What made her think she know who I was and how much I could spend on my own mother?
I can't even go into the drugstore without being followed by clerks who assume I'm going to steal something.
My boyfriend and his buddies get in trouble all the time with security because they look different from most people. Some say they look like "squeegee kids."
What do squeegee kids look like? And what's wrong with looking like them? People are always picking on teens these days - from squeegee kids to ravers or skaters. Why?
Because older people like Mayor Mel Lastman are prejudiced against youth - be they squeegees, ravers or anyone else who doesn't wear a suit and "behave."
And people like Lastman have the power to spread their view of youth all over the city.
If the mayor wants to clean up the city, he should realize it's not the kids messing it up. It's people like him, who have nothing better to do than blame their problems on the city's youth and try to make Toronto a city exclusively for people over 25.
My message to Mel: I haven't been in the world long enough to do half the damage your generation did.
Jes Wooten
Reprinted from an editorial in Now Magazine.
"How many kids do you want when you get married?"
"I want a big family! Twenty kids all named after me!"
Now, having a large, loving family is one thing. However, adding to the global crisis of over-population is another. Do you wonder why half the population of Southeast Asia is starving? Why unemployment rates are so high? Why diseases spread so quickly and why pollution has gone hay-wire? It's all traceable to over-population.
If the population multiplies faster than the food, people will starve to death. If there are more people than jobs available, unemployment rates will skyrocket. If there are so many people living in cramped urban areas where the sanitation leaves something to be desired, diseases will run rampant. More people = more waste = more pollution.
There is, unfortunately, the issue of contraceptives. Some cultures and religions consider it a sin to halt the natural process of pregnancy. To them, births are a gift from their respective Gods. Also introducing contraceptives to the Eastern hemisphere may seem like a form of "Western Colonialism."
There are many problems to deal with when tackling over-population. I believe a few compromises must be made.
Start a global and public campaign to promote family planning and the use of contraceptives. Start patrolling the world's urban areas with Vasectomy-Mobiles. Think I'm kidding? They did that exact same thing in India. It worked.
Those who have been properly educated will make a smart decision. What decision will you make?
Chrissy,ed.
Is it just me or is spring in the air?
Is it just me or (this one is a real shocker) did the caf rip you off?
Is it just me or are clowns really, really scary?
Is it just me or, if we paint Billy Corgans head orange, stick a candle in his mouth, wouldn't he look exactly like a jack-o-lantern? You know, round head, jagged teeth, anybody?
Is it just me or can anyone else swallow their tongue?
Well maybe it's just me.
Is it just me or are the MacNews computers totally cursed?
Well on that note I leave with saying come forth with freak questions. If they are any good you win a prize. Yes a prize. Drop your "Is it just me's?" off at the MacNews box. Thank you.
Citizen Queen
Beauty. Complete. Never to be seen, but we all know that it does exist. It is a feeling. It is a place. It is beauty. I have seen it, and I have been there. Not once, not twice. How can it be counted? How can it be seen? Well. . . go deep. . . real deep into your heart. Deeper than the most fulfilled of feelings. May God only tell. . . once again from my heart. . . THANK YOU!
The Artist formerly known as White
It's almost like a costume party. You get to know people with their masks and their outfits. But you have absolutely no idea who is who when they're in their average everyday clothing. That's much the same with people. You'll be surprised how many individuals put on a facade in our society. It's not necessarily wrong, but we need to be aware of this and be more sensitive.
If there's one important thing I've learned, it's that we can't see all of a person through our first impression. I've made the mistake of relying on first impressions and what I see on the surface of people's personality and behaviour. For example, one who seems to be a "cocky-jerk" is really a nice person underneath. Another who appears to always be cheerful and sociable is really hurt and lonely deep down. Some people may look like they love school and their friends with a passion but little do we realize they cling to these things because they are having family problems. I guess what I'm trying to say is, we can only know so much about a person and sometimes, it's not even the real them we are getting to know. I think we need to realize that we can't judge a person for their actions too quickly because much of the time, some kind of problem in their lives is making them do these things. So I urge you to give these people and yourselves a chance to really get to know someone. Be more sensitive and understanding toward others. If they have any troubles, who knows, you might be the one to help them. And for those of you who are waiting, there is always someone who wants to lift that mask and wipe your tears.
Peculiar Display
I Know Your Name
Who is the you that no one else can see?
In your heart the lonely one afraid to be.
Lost again . . . need a friend.
You hide your soul to keep the hurt inside,
All alone your tears call out into the night.
Is He there . . . does He care?
Yes I know your name
Every prayer you pray
I'm the one who brought you to this place.
The voice who sings to you
The hand that clings to you
Oh my child, I've always known your name.
I hold you close to me, close to heart
And this kind of love will find you
Anywhere you are.
Never fear, I am here.
M. W. Smith
As we are faced with the end of second term, we must remember the three words that outline all that is good in life: BOOGIE! BOOGIE! BOOGIE!
That's right ladies and gents. It is upon us. What you ask? MARCH BREAK! A week-long holiday that is strategically placed in the middle of March so that by the time students begin to enjoy their freedom and peace of mind, they have to go back to school again.
The school wants us to believe that Spring Break will give students time to relax and not worry about anything. That way when students return they'll be able to focus on their studies after getting to rest their minds. The students, however, beg to differ! A week is not a very long time. Before you realize March Break has started, it has ended. Some of us will be spending our time in the library researching for our ISUs and seminars. Others will be spending their time working or worrying about university. Therefore what the hell is the point of getting ANY time off?
My suggestion is that we get more than one week. We get at least two weeks. See this way we could slack off the first week and then the wecond week tell ourselves that we'll call our group members. Eventually we'll get to work on the project that's due the first day after the March Break. As a final ritual of any holiday, call your partners the night before the project is due, work on it all night and then complain about how much work we did. That is the proper way of enjoying your holiday. So it is easy to see why we need at least 2 weeks.
So next week when you're sitting in front of your TV at 3 am watching an infomercial on yet another vacuum cleaner, remember you don't have another week to slack off. So get up off your couch, brush off all the chips, put some (preferably) clean clothes on and go to the library. Then after finding out the library isn't open at 3am go home and sleep. Go back the next day just don't miss any of your soaps.
So, enjoy your March Break and come back to school safe and sound.
To all the people who are leaving the country, we don't blame you.
Dramatic
We at MacNews stumbled across a book of quotes today and decided to share some of them with you.
"Whenever I hear people discussing birth control, I always remember that I was the fifth."
- Clarence Darrow
"If we were all given by magic the power to read each other's thoughts, I suppose the first effect would be to dissolve all friendships."
- Bertrand Russell
"If an animal does something, we call it instinct; if we do the same thing for the same reason, we call it intelligence."
- Will Cuppy
"This is the first age that's paid much attention to the future, which is a little ironic since we may not have one."
- Arthur C. Clarke
"There's a difference between a philosophy and a bumper sticker."
- Charles M. Schulz
"I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens."
- Woody Allen
"A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic."
- Joseph Stalin
"An atheist is a man who believes himself an accident."
- Francis Thompson
- Compiled by Smutton
It has come to my undivided attention that a certain "accepted" rule is being broken more and more often in classes these days. Whatever happened to raising-your-hand-and-waiting-for-the-teacher-before-you-speak? Students have been yelling out their opinions and answers in some of my classes while I just sit there patiently with my arm dumbly standing in the air in hopes of getting my teacher's attention. And even more outrageous is the fact that the teacher totally ignores me and proceeds to respond to the "over-spontaneous" student (who usually answers with what I was going to say!)
Bluntly put: CHAOS! The scary part is, this occurance is happening in more than one of my classes and it's unfair! Granted, some students may be extremely excited about a lightbulb that just went off in their head, and it's true that a teacher can't always pay 100% attention to all students. But students, take my friendly advice and remember to raise your hand when you want to voice something. Teachers, please turn a deaf ear to those who think that they can budge their way into things. And don't forget us "put-up handers" because you never know, someday we might snap and we'll yell out so fast and loud that you won't know what hit you.
Peculiar Display
On Sunday, March 5, the third incarnation of the Anne of Green Gables movie series aired on CBC. This four hour mini-series, which continued on Monday, was set during World War I, and told the story of Anne's search for Gilbert in war-torn Europe.
Starring Megan Follows and Jonathon Crombie, Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story showcased the return of cast members from the previous movies. Along with the leads, other returnees include Schuyler Grant (Diana Wright) and Patricia Hamilton (Rachel Lynde).
The story was interesting, and kept my attention, but it seemed to diverge too much from the original Anne. The Continuing Story became too much of a war movie. In this sequel, Anne took on the role of a war hero, making makeshift cannons out of scrap parts and dodging gunfire in trenches.
Despite the inconsistencies with the Anne style, it was still a welcome addition to the series after a thirteen-year break. The executive producer, Kevin Sullivan, created a work which brought back fond memories of the house Anne grew up in, the friendships that were built, and the people that built them.
Nony LaSouris
We are two guys. Yet, we would like to join numerous girls' sports teams. Why? Here's a list of reason we've compiled:
Nookie Monster & (Only here this week for the pizza) Stoopid Head