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If you prefer to think in pictures rather than in words you are probably a visual-spatial learner. Visual learners learn better when seeing things rather than listening to them. They usually learn in an all-at-once fashion and quite often the learning is permanent. They may be unorganized and oblivious to time when working. Repetition and drill work don’t usually work for them. Seeing and digesting the whole or big picture first is important before learning the details some of which may be missed along the way. They do not learn by the step-by-step method used by teachers. It may be impossible for them to show their work because they can come to complete conclusions quickly after seeing the whole. Easy tasks may prove difficult, but difficult or complex tasks can be handled readily. They are often gifted creatively, technologically, mathematically or emotionally.
You may be one of these children if you spend lots of time doing puzzles, completing mazes, building things, counting everything, playing chess, designing scientific experiments, programming a computer, or taking things apart to see how they operate.

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This is the year! Two grades will be graduating at the same time – Gr. 12 and OAC, as per government dictates. Many things have been done to prepare for this major event in our educational history. About 290,000 students will be graduating in the big bulge. Everybody expects lots of competition but it is also wise to keep things in perspective. This is not a critical situation requiring critical decisions.

Here are some considerations and thoughts to make the year a positive one:

• Work hard and get the best marks possible. Take a deep breath and do it for just this year and with all your energy. You will have the best chances of getting what you want and going where you want to go. Even if you don’t, you will not feel guilty because you did your best.
• Consider different starting strategies. University always seems to get most of the attention. Perhaps attend a lesser-known college/university in the first year and then transfer to another facility.
• Explore more widely. Look into colleges that have been newly granted the ability to give university credit courses. These will give you practical, hands-on experience as well as the theoretical knowledge.
• Don’t let advertising and hype get to you. The world will not end if you don’t get into your first choice college/university.
• Apply to colleges/universities in other provinces too. If financing is difficult, consider a school where you may have relatives you can live with for a year or more or choose a lesser-known one that charges less. Just get started.
• Sometimes student positions in a college or university open up throughout the summer or just before classes start in September. Somebody who has been accepted may reconsider, die, move, cancel due to emergency, etc. and their place becomes available for another applicant at the last moment. Check with the registrar’s office regularly, even if you were originally rejected months ago. You still might get in!
• Colleges and universities have been busy preparing programs for younger students so that their transition will be smooth and with as little stress as possible. You will be well looked after even if you are younger.
• Take the time to learn about transferring from one institution to another. You will not feel trapped in a college/university that you may not like.
• There are always many options and directions in life, not just one!

Visit the following web site for further information:

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Aberfoyle Antique & Flea Market will be closing at the end of the monbth. Open only on weekends, this is Canada’s largest flea market. There is something for everybody.

Air Cadets will be looking for new recruits.

Auction Sales. Check local papers for interesting sales on weekends.

Bancroft Mineral Collecting. For a fun weekend go mineral hunting with experts who will take you into areas to find some of the 400 minerals in the Bancroft area. This activity is making Bancroft a major tourist destination. Try it.

Beach Blast Indoor Volleyball Centre. Have your next birthday party playing volleyball with your friends.

Bike ON Tours. Ontario has some of the best bike trails. Find out about them.

Black Film & Video Network will be having festivals.

Bloor Cinema. They show old and great movies in this theatre. Very cheap to get in. Take some friends and pick up those movies you missed.

Canadian Fencing Federation might be interesting to some of you.

Canadian Football Hall of Fame. A neat place to visit and see the history of Canadian football.

Canadian Pet Expo will be coming to the Exhibition Grounds, Toronto.

Canadian Warplane Museum in Hamilton may be of interest to war buffs.

Canzine Festival of Underground Periodicals, radical films and writing events.

Carpenter’s Square has a series of lessons on how to work with wood.

CBC Museum. See the history of Canadian Broadcasting over the last 100 years.

EF Global Citizen Awards Contest. Win a Scholarship for writing an essay.

Encounters With Canada offer super 1-week interesting packages in Ottawa until the end of May.

Glen Haffy Conservation Area has it’s corn maze. Fun for the whole family.

Homeopathic College Open House showing the best of natural health care.

Ontario Public Libraries have celebrations going on. Each library has special events. Check your local library.

The International Festival of Authors will be held at Harbourfront. There will be many famous authors and poets presenting. If you are a reading or writing enthusiast, check it out.

Pick Your Own Pumpkins at Southbrook Farm, Halloween Store and Weekend Wagon Rides. Go out into the fields and pick your own pumpkin. Interesting goodies in their store. 1061 Major Mackenzie Dr. W. between Bathurst and Dufferin. 905-832.2548 M-F 9-630, S-S 9-6.

Shad Valley Leadership Training Camps across Canada– time to check out applications. I have the new ones. Deadline is in December.

Snowhawks Ski & Snowboard School will be taking applications.

Model United Nations and Assemblies at various locations in the city. See your Current Issues Club supervisors too for details.

Toronto International Toy Collectors Show at the International Centre.

U. of Waterloo Shadow Day. Spend the day with a university student there.

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Karen Lam, former LAT Gifted Program student received a letter inviting her to become a U of T chapter member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Membership into this organization is limited to undergrads who have ranked in the top 15% of their faculty or major program. Congratulations.

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There was an interesting article on MSN Carpoint a few days ago and I thought I would share some of it with all of you. It was regarding Teens and Driving which of course is my monthly article topic, but it actually said a lot of things I would have never realized.

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among young Americans aged 15-20 and 64% of 13-19 year olds are killed while a teen driver is at the wheel. But that wasn't the really surprising part!

The article spoke about what type of car is best suited as a teen's first car and the outcome was quite interesting. The experts said that the best car for a young driver is actually a pick-up truck! As I kept reading, I began to see why this was true.

First, there is the issue of weight. Pick-up trucks are heavier than normal cars so they're less likely to get completely destroyed in collisions. Also, they are higher elevated than other cars so it is easier to see everything around you. Finally, pick-ups can't hold a lot of passengers. This is good because a lot of passengers can be very distracting to drivers and in some cases actually cause accidents.

I know pick-ups may not be the number one choice of young drivers - they certainly aren't mine - but I can see why this may be a smart choice for some drivers.

If car companies could come up with a way to combine these safety aspects with fuel economy and style I believe that it would be the perfect combination for people of all ages!

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(from an article by Robert Crew in the Toronto Star)

Agatha Christie is long gone but her play, The Mousetrap, is now celebrating 25 years in Toronto – that’s since 1977. The play has been performed over 9000 times. It is now the longest running play in North America. If you think that’s a record, the play has been performed in London, England since November of 1952 and is still getting audiences!

Garnet Truax, one of the actors in the Toronto play, has a world record for appearing 4576 times as Major Metcalf from 1977 until 1996. Over 160 other actors, 9 directors, 20 stage managers and countless understudies have been involved in the production, so far.

Why is the play so popular? It is an English countryside estate murder mystery thriller and seems to have the right combination of wit, humour, mystery, and red herrings. Audiences love to try to figure out who done it through the many twists and turns that keep people guessing. Many English language school classes show up. Youngsters that saw the play way back when are now bringing their children to it. Some people go several times to follow each character individually.

There has never been a movie made of this play. The reason is Agatha Christie stipulated that there couldn’t be one until 6 months after the play closed. That, obviously, hasn’t happened. Over the years, some buyers of the movie rights, with high hopes, waited and waited. In some cases they died without having had the opportunity to put the play on film.

Critics have given up trying to provide objective reviews. Audiences could care less and keep going despite them.

__________

(from an article by Tralee Pearce in the Globe and Mail)

Do you have creepy stuff happening in your home? It may not be bugs or other pests. It might be GHOSTS! What do you do? Call Ruth Kelly, of Toronto, who owns a thriving ghost cleaning service.

Despite being called a low-key ghostbuster all the time, Ruth is very normal. In spiritual circles she is called a "gatekeeper" and uses relatively simple means to get ghosts to move on and out of buildings and people’s lives.

Happy people do not become ghosts, she says. They tend to be "clumsy pieces of energetic baggage. She tells them it’s time to go.

Here is what she does. She first deep breathes, concentrates severely and utters a few phrases such as, "Cleanse and release. You judged yourself harshly; we did not wish this for you." When this process is completed, she will cleanse the corners of your house and clear out spiritual cobwebs by saying, "Bless these walls." In the beginning when she was done, she used to be very drained but has become more efficient over time.

Kelly has been doing this part-time for over 13 years for clients as far as

South Africa. She usually charges $500 plus travel expenses or $350 by phone.

Brian Vike is a ufologist. He studies the paranormal, and is especially interested in sightings of UFO’s. His job is to accumulate, assess and otherwise try to explain mysterious lights, unusual unexplainable occurrences and airborne phenomena reported by people across the country.

The job also entails contacting government and military administrators to determine if military activity might have been involved. Are there UFO’s? Who knows. You can, however, make a living as a result of the mystery.

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(from an article by Libby Stephens, the Toronto Star)

An Asian killer fish, the Snakehead, has been recently discovered swimming and STROLLING in and around a Maryland pond. State officials are very worried that these "Frankenfish" will spread. Herbicides and deadly poison were put into the pond to hopefully kill them all before they spread.

These fish are big and ugly, eat birds, frogs and other fish whole and as air-breathers can survive on land for long periods while "walking" around on their fins. They can grow to the size of a golf bag! Even animal rights groups say Snakeheads should be "terminated with extreme prejudice."

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(from all over – O.S.)

The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft launches were 25 years ago this past August – in 1977. In 1979-80 they sent back spectacular photos and data of Jupiter and Saturn. In 1986-89 Voyager 2 was the first craft to fly by Neptune and Uranus. Voyager 1 is presently the most distant human-made object in the universe!

The two craft are now heading for the heliosphere, which is the outer limits of our solar system. At the heliosphere, the sun’s particle-filled "solar wind" stops and there will be magnetic and gravitational chaos beyond.

This is a truly remarkable human achievement and worth following with a sense of awe, wonder and respect. Who would believe that these two craft would still be sending back photos when they were expected to last only about 4-5 years!

By the way, does anybody know when the energizer bunny will be getting batteries like the ones on board?

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• Americans consume about 430 BILLION cigarettes each year.
• About 95% of the world’s oceans has never been explored.
• There are about 250,000 sweat glands on the human feet. Feet sweat about a cup of water each day. Another good reason to drink lots of water.
• The one most important thing the electronic world is very eager to develop is a universal remote that would control everything in the house from TV to fans and ovens, to garage door closers.
• The Queen and Prince Philip will visit Canada from Oct 4-15. Ottawa (that means us taxpayers) will be picking up the tab. Total cost is at least $1.5 million or about $150,000/day. That includes: flights, security, best hotel rooms, meals, transportation and a 27-member entourage of attendants.
• In 1900 one farmer fed 10 people. In 1990 one farmer fed over 120 people.
• Less than 3% of Canadians are farmers. 98% of farms are family owned and operated.
• In 1998, 19,000 Canadian pork producers marketed 20 million hogs.
• In Bangkok, Thailand, there are an estimated 20 collisions a month involving elephants. They have just been recently banned from city streets. Kind of makes you think pigeon and seagull problems in major cities are not quite as important anymore.
• Kids and teenagers are begging for Mattell’s Harry Potter Nimbus 2000 broom. They love it. The broomstick has cute sound effects and VIBRATES when put between the legs to fly. What were the creators thinking of?
• True Story!! The Canadian SPL (sound pressure level) Championships held in Mississauga, Ontario, is a competition to find the loudest car. Buy the best car audio system, throw in a CD of a selected bass frequency and crank it up. The winner and loudest car this year was certified at 163.8 decibels. (a jet taking off generates about 130 db)
• In Bangkok, Thailand, there is a fat-themed karaoke bar. Chairs are metal and extra strong, concrete is on the floor instead of wood,. Their heaviest regular customer is 353 pounds. They have "chubby nights" when groups of four compete against each other to be the heaviest group in the place.

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(based on an article from Reuters News Agency, in the Toronto Star)

It has been scientifically proven that clones are defective and should never be an option in any kind of biological endeavour! Cloning may well be a fading dream for the future. Why? Over 10,000 genes were studied in cloned animals and many (almost 50%) were abnormal which caused the animals to die at or before birth. Even ones that stay alive have genetic flaws which may not be life threatening but there nevertheless. In conclusion, scientists are saying that cloning is a very inefficient method of reproduction.

Cloning of humans could be done but would ultimately be very risky and would likely produce an abnormal human being. Besides the biological problems, the scientific, ethical, moral dilemmas and repercussions would be staggering.

(comment: Do we honestly believe we can play with the fundamental elements of life and reproduction and that there will be no mistakes or consequences if we mess up? There are powers far greater than ours that will ensure we reach limits that we can never cross. Perhaps this is one of them and need to recognize it. The message is "Hands off." Let’s go back to the things we can handle reasonably well and not put the entire world at risk.)

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(from an article by Stephen Strauss n the Globe & Mail)

For 8 years, David Williams has been looking for his "moon trees," some of which are probably growing somewhere in Canada. Back in 1971, the seeds were part of a NASA space flight to the moon. While astronauts walked on the moon, the seeds were along and orbited in the capsule as part of a scientific experiment.

The decontamination process back on Earth caused the seed canisters to burst and it was felt that the seeds were dead. A forest-service employee, however, sent the seeds to two research stations where they were planted and sprouted.

The space flight did not seem to affect their biology so rather than destroying them, the seedlings were given away to anybody and everybody that wanted them. The problem is, nobody systematically recorded where they went.

Mr. Williams is a kind of detective now and has found 44 sites and 54 trees. He thinks some came to Canada.

Why all the interest? These are some of the only living things that ever accompanied humans into outer space. The picture and history of any "moon tree" will be included in a web site Mr. Williams is setting up.

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Your Mouth is Lovely by Nancy Richler. A Russian-Ukrainian family epic around the Russian Revolution.

The Perpetual Ending by Kristen den Hartog. Totally opposite, mirror-image twins who move from a small town to Toronto. Decisions and consequences are inevitable after their parents separate.

The Book of Ifs and Buts and The Interloper by Rabindranath Maharaj. Prize winners about emigrants in new lands stories.

The Trade Mission by Andrew Pyper. Action thriller about website whiz kids who are kidnapped, tortured, escape and find their way back to civilization.
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(from an article by Susan Finkelstein, North York Mirror)

When you visit fast food restaurants, do you go for combos? It’s a good deal isn’t it, or is it? Many restaurants are doing this to attract more of your money. Why not spend a little more to save a little more. Seems logical.

Why could this be any kind of a problem? Well, the price increase may be small but nutritionally, there is a big negative change. Calories go way up and nutritional value goes way down!

A "value meal" is an advertising gimmick called "bundling" which usually steers people to buy extra stuff they don’t normally want because together the food items are cheaper. If the meal includes fries and a pop, for instance, the overall meal is far less nutritious and higher in calories – in other words FAT. Just seeing the special price often leads people away from a healthier option such as a salad. For food companies, the actual cost of adding a little extra food is very small.

What can you do about it - if you think something should be done? SPEAK UP WHEN YOU BUY! Ask why other, healthier foods, aren’t included in "value meals." Urge them to come up with some creative, healthy eating and real "value meals." To save yourself some money, ask for smaller burgers, buy salads, yogurts, child-sized sandwiches and desserts. Just think of the money you actually spend. It is totally illogical to think that you are saving anything when you have just spent more than you originally wanted to.

So, it’s your choice. Are smaller prices and larger waistlines what you really want in a "value meal"?

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(based on an article by Rachel Ross in the Toronto Star)

An Illinois company says it has found the perfect way to keep someone with you always. Turn them into a diamond!

LifeGem Company will extract the carbon from the cremated body of your loved one or pet and, by applying super pressure and heat, turn it into an artificial diamond. Adding other ingredients in the process can result in a range of colours of the diamonds. It took three years for the company to develop the technique and it is now available for the general public.

How much? About $4,000US for a .25 carat, $17,000 for a .75 carat. That includes shipping of the remains to and from a crematorium in Wisconsin. There is already a backlog of orders. A handful of funeral homes have already signed up to offer the service to families of the deceased. Don’t take too long to decide though because the carbon can deteriorate and be lost in remains.

Synthetic diamonds have been made since the 1950’s and these new types are accepted as gem-quality by the European Gemological Laboratory which sets the world standards.

Just think, one day somebody may reminisce about good old Uncle Barney and you can show them his remains glistening on your finger. Just think, one day, it could be you on your child’s finger!

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(from a variety of sources – O.S.)

In any job you get, you will be a representative and ambassador for your boss and/or company. Service positions especially, require that you deal with the public so why not learn some techniques that will make everybody look good especially in problem situations. Here’s what you need to know. (not all apply all the time):

1. Talk to the person as an individual. Find out their name and then their concern. Rather than a business-like worker/customer relationship, it becomes a Tom and Mr. Jones relationship which is more human.
2. Be positive and put a smile on your face when dealing with customers.
3. Show you care in your words and body language. Appear helpful.
4. Everybody has an opinion. Don’t argue or confront. Listen to what they have to say before responding. Ask for clarification if you are unsure.
5. If you don’t know the answer to questions or don’t have a solution, say so. Offer to find somebody who can help.
6. Keep your responses simple and use easily understood explanations and non-technical words.
7. Give detailed answers, not generalizations.
8. Read advertisements, newsletters, brochures, labels, business forms and anything else to do with your business so that you are up to date with what is happening.
9. Make a good first impression in what you say and how you look. Speak and dress in a professional manner.
10. Use comparisons that your customer can relate to.

If somebody is nasty to you, don’t add to the nastiness. Show greater maturity and a willingness to solve the problem together.

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(from the Toronto Star)

President George Bush is well known for his inability to talk English good. Below is a poem created out of some of his best quotes.

Make the Pie Higher

I think we all agree, the past is over.

This is still a dangerous world.

It’s a world of madmen and uncertainty

And potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked

Is our children learning?

Will the highways of the Internet become more few?

How many hands have I shaked?

They misunderestimate me.

I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.

I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.

Families is where our nation finds hope, where

Our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!

Knock down the tollbooth!

Vulcanize society!

Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!

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(from an article by Anne McIlroy in the Globe and Mail)

No this is not a script for a horror film, but probably close to one for many people. University of Pennsylvania researchers recently announced the first successful cross-species sperm production. Mice will soon be altered to allow for the production of human sperm. Say good-bye to sex and men’s traditional control of sperm production!

The mice have been bred to have very little hair and are presently capable of growing goat and pig testicular tissue in up to 8 lumps on their backs. In a few years, it is expected that infertile men can be helped with this means of sperm production.

The experiments have caused heated discussions on reproduction methods. Traditional sexual reproduction involves elaborate courtship rituals, game playing, flirting, sexual signals, etc. and involves much time and energy on the part of animals and humans. Asexual reproduction bypasses all that and saves a lot of energy. No longer will it be necessary to grow fancy feathers, put on incandescent displays, wine and dine a potential lover in a fancy restaurant.

There are a number of well-known species in which females use the do-it-yourself method – bees, ants, fish, cockroaches. Cloning also comes into the discussion.

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(from an article by Eric Talmadge, the Toronto Star)

Scientists are saying that Tokyo is changing its own weather because it is so crowded. The accumulated heat from all the human activity, cars and industry produces a global warming effect, but just over the city.

What changes have happened because of this? Morning fog has disappeared. Evening thunderstorms come well after dark or before dawn instead of in the evening. Rainstorms are harder and more frequent.

Tokyo is often several degrees hotter than the surrounding countryside and forms a "heat island." Many large cities of the world are "heat islands" including Toronto, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Mexico City.

The large numbers of cars, air conditioners, electrical devices in buildings all pump out great amounts of heat. Asphalt and concrete absorb heat and prevent evaporation of cooling water. Lack of trees and grass also means less shade and more pollution. Tokyo had a record 67 days in 2000 where temperatures hit 30 degrees or hotter.

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(from an article by Valerie Hauch of the Toronto Star)

Gerson Andres Florez Perez is 16 and serves as a shining example that youth can make a difference.

Perez started when he was 10 years old by speaking out about peace issues when he heard about two children being killed by landmines. He started with the media about the impact of landmines. From there he took three years to prepare and submit peace proposals to the Colombian Congress. He was invited to speak there and soon gained international attention. Norwegians eventually nominated him for the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his peace activism and efforts against the use of landmines.

Besides studying law on a scholarship, Perez wants to establish a "Children’s Commission for Peace" in Colombia.

This is his message to youth: "take a message of international understanding back to your governments, to your cities, to your schools. You will see that the weapons of respect and tolerance will be very powerful and your hard work will be taken up by others. The result will be a peace free of the rhetoric used by so many adults – including our politicians."

Youth Peacemakers and How to Be One

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Sometimes when you have a stressful day or week, you need some silliness to break up the day. Here is your dose...

Follow the instructions to find your new name. Release your inner child.

The following is an excerpt from a children's book, "Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants", by Dave Pilkey. The evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names.

Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name:

a=poopsie

b=lumpy

c=buttercup

d=gidget

e=crusty

f=greasy

g=fluffy

h=cheeseball

i=chim-chim

j=joliper

k=flunky

l=booger

m=pinky

n=zippy

o=goober

p=doofus

q=slimy

r=loopy

s=snerkel

t=tulefel

u=dorkey

v=squeezie

w=waliford

x=skipper

y=dinky

z=zsa zsa.

Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name:.

a = doodah

b = tata

c = giggle

d = burger

e = girdle

f = baggio

g = lizard

h = waffle

i = cootie

j = monkey

k = petunia

l = liver

m = banana

n = rhino

o = bubble

p = chico

q = toad

r = gizzard

s = pizza

t = gerbil

u = chicken

v = pickle

w = chuckle

x = tofu

y = gorilla

z = tinker

Use the fourth letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:

a = head

b = mouth

c = face

d = fuzz

e = tush

f = breath

g = pants

h = shorts

i = lips

j = hiccups

k = butt

l = brain

m = tushie

n = chunks

o = honey

p = biscuits

q = toes

r = buns

s = fanny

t = sniffer

u = sprinkles

v = kisser

w = squirt

x = humperdinck

y = brains

z = juice

Thus, for example, George W. Bush's new name is Goober Chickenshorts. Bill Clinton's name is Booger Liverchunks.
Now when you FORWARD THIS... use your new name as the subject.

Remember that children laugh an average of 146 times a day, adults laugh an average of 4 times a day SO SEND THIS TO ADULTS! THEY NEED IT BADLY!

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Two elderly women were talking. One was having a great deal of difficulty hearing what the other way saying. Her friend noticed something odd, leaned over and pulled a suppository from her ear.

"What’s this suppository doing in your ear?" exclaimed the astonished friend.

"Oh, dear, now I think I know where my hearing aid is!" said the woman.

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Courtesy of DiscoverTeenergy.com
All Rights Reserved