I had a whole other blog post planned and written, but instead I will post this. The other post was about how happy my birthday was, how much fun I had the night before with my family, and how proud I was of the Canucks.
Instead, you get this.
I will start at the beginning. In order for there to be an aftermath, there must be a beginning, so that's where I will start.
October 2010, the Vancouver Canucks start a historical run to the Stanley Cup, winning trophies, awards, and working their tails off to slay the biggest dragons that haunted their dreams from years past. They were awarded the President's Trophy, won their division title and the Western Conference title. We have Daniel Sedin winning the league's top scoring award... The Canucks? The team to beat.
On June 15th, 2011 (My 20th birthday) at 5:20pm, the puck drops on Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final - Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins at Rogers Arena in the beautiful city of Vancouver.
The city is electric. People are celebrating what was suppose to be the Canucks lifting the cup above their heads... celebrating a record breaking season with the NHL's most prized possession in the city who so wanted to see our team win.
That didn't happen.
The Canucks lost, and just as the last seconds ticked down on the clock, I cried... and the rest of the city decided they would riot... light cars on fire, stab people and loot multiple large and small stores all around the city.
I spent much of my night watching CBC and CTV trying to keep up to date on what was going on. I go to school downtown, and I spent much of my night wondering if Vancouver will be a safe place to go this morning, or if the city will be in such disarray that they won't let anyone down there.
Buses aren't running, bridges are closed, and people are severely injured.
This is not how it was suppose to happen.
I have been a Canucks fan for a very long time. I live with the team, I die with the team. They are more than just a sports team to many people in Vancouver, they are our friends, our family, and our pride and joy for 9 months of the year. We put the Sedin's, Luongo, Kesler... all of the players up on a pedestal. They are beyond celebrities in the eyes of Vancouverites most of the year.
And yet, this is how we choose to show our support. The people who call themselves fans destroy the downtown core of Vancouver, burn it nearly to the ground, injure countless people and not only that, just make an already sour evening worse.
The 1994 riot is still a blemish on our beautiful city, and instead of being strong, supportive fans of a team who worked fucking hard for you by the way, who produced for you everything they could, gave you 9 months of awesome hockey... to show your support you destroy the city with their names on your back. If I were them, I would be horribly disgusted.
In fact. I'm not one of them, and I'm horribly disgusted.
If you see people on your social networking sites with photos, videos or ridiculous statuses implying that they were anyway involved in the riots after the game... it is your responsibility to this city, the real fans, and more than anyone else, the team you so horribly let down, to turn those people in.
No exceptions.
No excuses.
Millions of dollars of damage done... I don't even want to think of the monetary amount of goods stolen from everywhere in Vancouver... how will you look at that new watch, that new purse, that bottle of shampoo and not feel like a piece of shit for stealing that?
I am in awe of how far this went.
It breaks my heart as a fan to watch the city I was once proud to call home destroyed by ignorant people who lack the ability to see anything but rage and alcohol.
I pity those low enough to participate. You have stooped to a new low.
Blog, and be happy.
Kyleigh.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
A HUGE Update!
I haven't posted in almost 3 weeks (ouch!) but I have life to blame for that. My life has been so excessively busy, but I love it SO much! I'm also behind by 2 weeks posting on my other blog (whoops...) but I'm going to do a super post this weekend, so look out for that if you're interested in my progress at school these past few weeks! =)
I wouldn't have thought that school would consume my life as much as it does with it only being 3 days a week, but man does it consume my life. While school is only Wednesday-Friday, I generally spend much of my evenings studying, practicing, and in the last weeks I've spent my Tuesdays at the salon too, last week getting my hair done (and I LOVE it!). Next week we have a Bumble and Bumble work shop at Space Salon in Vancouver, which is affiliated with my hairdressing school, and I am REALLY excited about that too because we get lots of product knowledge and fantastic extra knowledge about what's in style, where it's going, and what Bumble and Bumble is doing to make those hairstyles easy for the consumer to have and make at home with their products. Super stoked.
Outside of my consumed hairdressing life, I've pretty much been working and sleeping. I get so tired so easily, as I have learned quickly that hairdressing is long days and there aren't many breaks. If you're doing it right, it hurts your arms pretty bad at first, but I can tell I'm getting stronger because blow-drying isn't as horrible as it was week one! Haha! Other than that, I'm spending time with my family and with Alex, catching up on TV shows and watching the Canucks kick giant butt in the playoffs! I'm pretty stoked about Round 3 - Go Canucks Go! #nowayjose
Pretty much, my life is busy as all heck... Thursdays are SO tiresome with choir and what not, but I DO have something I need to say in relation to choir:
I will not plug this anymore. If you come, you come, and I hope you do. It'll be a lot of fun, and we are quite a good choir. I hope you might consider this as an inexpensive night out, supporting a great non-profit organization I am so happy and proud to be a part of.
Lastly, I need to share this song with you. I'm sure you've all heard of Adele, she's freaking amazing, and her song Rolling in the Deep is on the radio near constantly. She has a new song that is slowly making its way onto the airways, and I need to share it, as it gives me shivers. Enjoy!
Maybe this update isn't quite as huge as I let it on to be... I thought a lot more had happened since the last time I posted, but I guess not. Perhaps I should change the title of this post, but I don't know what else to call it!
I hope you're all enjoying this month. I generally love May, although this may seems to be slightly colder and wetter than I remember May being. I hope that it gets brighter and warmer soon! =)
Until next time,
Blog, and be happy! (And Go, Canucks Go!)
Kyleigh.
I wouldn't have thought that school would consume my life as much as it does with it only being 3 days a week, but man does it consume my life. While school is only Wednesday-Friday, I generally spend much of my evenings studying, practicing, and in the last weeks I've spent my Tuesdays at the salon too, last week getting my hair done (and I LOVE it!). Next week we have a Bumble and Bumble work shop at Space Salon in Vancouver, which is affiliated with my hairdressing school, and I am REALLY excited about that too because we get lots of product knowledge and fantastic extra knowledge about what's in style, where it's going, and what Bumble and Bumble is doing to make those hairstyles easy for the consumer to have and make at home with their products. Super stoked.
Outside of my consumed hairdressing life, I've pretty much been working and sleeping. I get so tired so easily, as I have learned quickly that hairdressing is long days and there aren't many breaks. If you're doing it right, it hurts your arms pretty bad at first, but I can tell I'm getting stronger because blow-drying isn't as horrible as it was week one! Haha! Other than that, I'm spending time with my family and with Alex, catching up on TV shows and watching the Canucks kick giant butt in the playoffs! I'm pretty stoked about Round 3 - Go Canucks Go! #nowayjose
Pretty much, my life is busy as all heck... Thursdays are SO tiresome with choir and what not, but I DO have something I need to say in relation to choir:
I will not plug this anymore. If you come, you come, and I hope you do. It'll be a lot of fun, and we are quite a good choir. I hope you might consider this as an inexpensive night out, supporting a great non-profit organization I am so happy and proud to be a part of.
Lastly, I need to share this song with you. I'm sure you've all heard of Adele, she's freaking amazing, and her song Rolling in the Deep is on the radio near constantly. She has a new song that is slowly making its way onto the airways, and I need to share it, as it gives me shivers. Enjoy!
Maybe this update isn't quite as huge as I let it on to be... I thought a lot more had happened since the last time I posted, but I guess not. Perhaps I should change the title of this post, but I don't know what else to call it!
I hope you're all enjoying this month. I generally love May, although this may seems to be slightly colder and wetter than I remember May being. I hope that it gets brighter and warmer soon! =)
Until next time,
Blog, and be happy! (And Go, Canucks Go!)
Kyleigh.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Down to the Wire.
Today is Tuesday April 26th, 2011. You would be surprised at how quickly today has kind of crept up on me, and how nervous I am for tomorrow. Tomorrow, as many of you know, I take a leap of faith and start hairdressing school.
For the last few months, I've really been nothing but excited (well, I've been a little worried about paying for tuition, but that's been rather minor as I sorted that out recently) but now I'm starting to get that shaky, nervous, quite worried about starting school feeling. This feeling is what I call Kindergarten Syndrome. You know when you're 5 and you're so excited that you're starting school like the big kids, but once you get there you realize that your mom can't stay with you, so you get really scared? That's Kindergarten Syndrome. It's a feeling I had in kindergarten, when I started middle school, when I started high school, and espeically when I started at SFU.
Kindergarten Syndrome hit me a few days ago, and it's leading to some serious doubting. What if I'm no good at hairdressing? What if I've spent all of this money, and hate it? What if the big kids pick on me? (okay, the last one is a joke!) But seriously. The pressure is on, and I'm really just trying to calm myself down and not cry (again) about how stressed I am over this new school thing.
I didn't really think that this would scare me as much as it is. Starting new things, trying to make a life for yourself... it's a lot of work, and a lot of pressure, especically when there are thousands of dollars and a career on the line. So, I've made myself a set of motivational goals to try and get myself through the first few weeks of school, which I know will be the hardest part.
1. Take it one day at a time. There is no point on stressing about tomorrow when you haven't yet finished today.
2. Work as hard as you can, and put your best work forward. Half-assing this will not make you successful.
3. Do everything you can to be the best that you can be. If you're doing your best, then you know that you're trying your hardest and being all that you can.
4. Don't stress the small stuff. Work hard at the big picture, and spend time working on the small stuff piece by piece. It's not about every strand of hair, but the whole head at the end of the day.
5. Smile. Always.
I have written these on post-it notes and put them on my bedroom mirror so I can read them every day, and convince myself that this is a good idea still, and that I am working toward something amazing.
If there is one thing that I know I'm good at, it's getting stuff done under pressure. I thrive under a busy schedule of work and school, and while I typically run myself ragged, and will probably spend most of my off time sleeping, I know that, from past experiences, I will get through this, and come out the other side a better person better equipped to face the real world.
I hope you all enjoyed your Easter long weekend! It was beautiful in Vancouver on Saturday, but it's been a rainy mess ever since. Hopefully we'll get some sun back soon!
I will post more soon... maybe Saturday! And keep an eye out for my other blog Secrets of a Salon Student! Hopefully a first day/week response will be posted by Friday! =)
Blog, and be happy! (and Go, Canucks Go!!!!!)
Kyleigh.
For the last few months, I've really been nothing but excited (well, I've been a little worried about paying for tuition, but that's been rather minor as I sorted that out recently) but now I'm starting to get that shaky, nervous, quite worried about starting school feeling. This feeling is what I call Kindergarten Syndrome. You know when you're 5 and you're so excited that you're starting school like the big kids, but once you get there you realize that your mom can't stay with you, so you get really scared? That's Kindergarten Syndrome. It's a feeling I had in kindergarten, when I started middle school, when I started high school, and espeically when I started at SFU.
Kindergarten Syndrome hit me a few days ago, and it's leading to some serious doubting. What if I'm no good at hairdressing? What if I've spent all of this money, and hate it? What if the big kids pick on me? (okay, the last one is a joke!) But seriously. The pressure is on, and I'm really just trying to calm myself down and not cry (again) about how stressed I am over this new school thing.
I didn't really think that this would scare me as much as it is. Starting new things, trying to make a life for yourself... it's a lot of work, and a lot of pressure, especically when there are thousands of dollars and a career on the line. So, I've made myself a set of motivational goals to try and get myself through the first few weeks of school, which I know will be the hardest part.
1. Take it one day at a time. There is no point on stressing about tomorrow when you haven't yet finished today.
2. Work as hard as you can, and put your best work forward. Half-assing this will not make you successful.
3. Do everything you can to be the best that you can be. If you're doing your best, then you know that you're trying your hardest and being all that you can.
4. Don't stress the small stuff. Work hard at the big picture, and spend time working on the small stuff piece by piece. It's not about every strand of hair, but the whole head at the end of the day.
5. Smile. Always.
I have written these on post-it notes and put them on my bedroom mirror so I can read them every day, and convince myself that this is a good idea still, and that I am working toward something amazing.
If there is one thing that I know I'm good at, it's getting stuff done under pressure. I thrive under a busy schedule of work and school, and while I typically run myself ragged, and will probably spend most of my off time sleeping, I know that, from past experiences, I will get through this, and come out the other side a better person better equipped to face the real world.
I hope you all enjoyed your Easter long weekend! It was beautiful in Vancouver on Saturday, but it's been a rainy mess ever since. Hopefully we'll get some sun back soon!
I will post more soon... maybe Saturday! And keep an eye out for my other blog Secrets of a Salon Student! Hopefully a first day/week response will be posted by Friday! =)
Blog, and be happy! (and Go, Canucks Go!!!!!)
Kyleigh.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
A Much Needed Post (Updates, and a Special Event!)
So I've definitely been promising a blog update for several weeks, and as my life gets busier and busier, it seems like it's harder and harder for me to maintain one blog, never mind two. My other blog (Secrets of a Salon Student) is getting close to being started and ready for some great blog posts (as long as I remember to keep posting!) I figured that before I get all wrapped up in my other blog and my busy life, I should post about my April (since I haven't really posted like at all) and just get it all out of the way on this great day in Vancouver.
#1. The first weekend in April.
The first weekend in April was pretty great. It was, number one, my boyfriend's 27th birthday. I had lots of fun spending his special day with him, going downtown and having a yummy dinner at the Keg. Not only was it his birthday, but it was also our one year anniversary of being together! That is pretty exciting if you ask me, so we spent some time together for that too... and it was a great day filled with lots of fun stuff, some good shopping, and just an enjoyable date day as a couple, since we don't do those kinds of things too often!
#2. My crocheting adventures.
I have been in quite the crafty mood, and I always love the feeling of accomplishing something, so I've taken up the art of crocheting. You may remember from a previous post that I was making a blanket, and that I didn't say a lot about it. Reason being, it was a gift for Alex for his birthday, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise if he happened upon the blog! So, since his birthday is past, and he has the blanket in his possession, I figured it would be an acceptable time to post about my blanket, and my favourite new hat that I made!
#3 My clay Canucks.
Last week some time, the Canucks posted to their blog Fort Nucks about these little clay keychains that you can make that resemble Canuck players. As a bored Canucks fan, I decided to give them a try, and I came up with a few cute little Canuck players! I thought I would post about those too!
Yes. I am crazy. But they are really cute, and I had a lot of fun killing some time making them. Just need some good ol' varnish and they will be ready for the world to see! I have a few more made...Raymond, Samuelsson and Schneider (for my mom!).. but I haven't decided who else I'd like to make. I will say though, they are hard to make, but a lot of fun! =)
#4. Speaking of the Canucks...
Despite they're loss last night, are they kicking butt this year or what? Go Canucks Go! I call the series to end on Thursday... how about you?
So, here we are. Next wednesday I start school, and I'm getting really excited! Hoping that everything goes well and that I have a great starting week. Keep an eye out for my other blog for updates on how school goes (although I'm sure I will post to here regarding important updates too!)
I will leave you with one little thing. If you have a dog, or you know someone with a dog, Saturday April 23rd, Three Dog Bakery Port Moody will be having what we call an "Easter Begg Hunt" all around SuterBrook Village (which is in Port Moody, in case you didn't know!). For $5, you and your dog get to go around the village collecting some of 1000 eggs hidden around filled with little dog treats! It's going to be lots of fun, and you'll get some great treats out of it! We're hoping that we'll be able have a lot of great people and a lot of great dogs come down to take part in what we think is going to be a LOT of fun! I'm probably going to be there working in the store, or working the begg hunt, so I hope that you'll consider coming down! Here's a little more information for you if you think you might be interested, and share the word with other dog owners you know! Any questions, comments or concerns? Comment, twitter, or facebook me and I'll get you all the information I can! =) Hope to see you and your canine friends there!
Blog, and be happy! (and Go Canucks Go!!)
Kyleigh.
#1. The first weekend in April.
The first weekend in April was pretty great. It was, number one, my boyfriend's 27th birthday. I had lots of fun spending his special day with him, going downtown and having a yummy dinner at the Keg. Not only was it his birthday, but it was also our one year anniversary of being together! That is pretty exciting if you ask me, so we spent some time together for that too... and it was a great day filled with lots of fun stuff, some good shopping, and just an enjoyable date day as a couple, since we don't do those kinds of things too often!
#2. My crocheting adventures.
I have been in quite the crafty mood, and I always love the feeling of accomplishing something, so I've taken up the art of crocheting. You may remember from a previous post that I was making a blanket, and that I didn't say a lot about it. Reason being, it was a gift for Alex for his birthday, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise if he happened upon the blog! So, since his birthday is past, and he has the blanket in his possession, I figured it would be an acceptable time to post about my blanket, and my favourite new hat that I made!
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| To give you an idea of how big this thing is, this is it on my love seat (which is huge) |
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| This is it on my double size bed (it easily could be used as a blanket for my bed!) |
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| And this is it. Just it. it's a good picture of it all finished. I actually love it. |
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| And this is my hat! It's got a cute flower on the side that you can't really see.. but I like it! =) |
Last week some time, the Canucks posted to their blog Fort Nucks about these little clay keychains that you can make that resemble Canuck players. As a bored Canucks fan, I decided to give them a try, and I came up with a few cute little Canuck players! I thought I would post about those too!
 |
| My Sedin Twin keychains! (I may turn them into earrings though..) |
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| The Sedin's with Lou, Kesler and Burrows! |
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| They even have numbered backs! =) |
#4. Speaking of the Canucks...
Despite they're loss last night, are they kicking butt this year or what? Go Canucks Go! I call the series to end on Thursday... how about you?
So, here we are. Next wednesday I start school, and I'm getting really excited! Hoping that everything goes well and that I have a great starting week. Keep an eye out for my other blog for updates on how school goes (although I'm sure I will post to here regarding important updates too!)
I will leave you with one little thing. If you have a dog, or you know someone with a dog, Saturday April 23rd, Three Dog Bakery Port Moody will be having what we call an "Easter Begg Hunt" all around SuterBrook Village (which is in Port Moody, in case you didn't know!). For $5, you and your dog get to go around the village collecting some of 1000 eggs hidden around filled with little dog treats! It's going to be lots of fun, and you'll get some great treats out of it! We're hoping that we'll be able have a lot of great people and a lot of great dogs come down to take part in what we think is going to be a LOT of fun! I'm probably going to be there working in the store, or working the begg hunt, so I hope that you'll consider coming down! Here's a little more information for you if you think you might be interested, and share the word with other dog owners you know! Any questions, comments or concerns? Comment, twitter, or facebook me and I'll get you all the information I can! =) Hope to see you and your canine friends there!
Blog, and be happy! (and Go Canucks Go!!)
Kyleigh.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
To The Vancouver Canucks:
To the Vancouver Canucks:
I believe in blue, white and green,
In number one,
In the Sedins.
I believe in 30 hearts true
And in what a couple of green men can do.
I believe in Vancouver spirit
In the screams of the fans,
Can you hear it?
I believe this can be won
Our playoff dreams have just begun.
I believe we can win it for Manny,
Facing Chicago again, it's a little uncanny.
But towel power will prevail
We are the champs, we will not fail.
We have a team that's strong and true,
There isn't much that they can't do.
Round one, round two, round three, round four.
We have never wanted this more
I believe in the Stanley Cup,
and Vancouver believes in the Vancouver Canucks.
Blog, and be happy! (And go Canucks go!)
Kyleigh.
P.S. I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I promise a big long post by the end of the week! It's half written, really!
I believe in blue, white and green,
In number one,
In the Sedins.
I believe in 30 hearts true
And in what a couple of green men can do.
I believe in Vancouver spirit
In the screams of the fans,
Can you hear it?
I believe this can be won
Our playoff dreams have just begun.
I believe we can win it for Manny,
Facing Chicago again, it's a little uncanny.
But towel power will prevail
We are the champs, we will not fail.
We have a team that's strong and true,
There isn't much that they can't do.
Round one, round two, round three, round four.
We have never wanted this more
I believe in the Stanley Cup,
and Vancouver believes in the Vancouver Canucks.
Blog, and be happy! (And go Canucks go!)
Kyleigh.
P.S. I know I haven't blogged in a while, but I promise a big long post by the end of the week! It's half written, really!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Social Network (Not the Film)
If you half read the title of this post as some of you might have (I am guilty of doing this often) this post is not about the 2010 film The Social Network, although that is a great film, and I think you should see it if you haven't. I've been contemplating a post like this for quite some time, but have never really been able to put into words exactly what I wanted to say on the topic of social networking. I think I've come up with some things to say, and I hope that you might have some opinions on this topic as well.
As many of you know, I am an avid Twitter and Facebook user. I'm also, obviously, a blogger, an email user, an occasional IM user, and I'm also finding my way through the world of Groupons and online deals. All of these things have one main source of power - The Social Network. It is what feeds our ability as a technology consumed society to be able to use the internet to efficiently waste time. Sort of.
I have come across many a person who do not believe in social networking, especially on a platform such as Twitter. Many people boo Twitter as being a "narcissistic way of posting about yourself constantly, but no one actually cares". While for some people this is the reality of Twitter, I believe there is a much more complex use for the system.
I won't lie. Do I use my twitter feed solely for the purpose of networking? No. I'm not sure anyone can completely use their twitter feed for the sole purpose of networking. But, I do use my twitter feed for posting, retweeting and updating people on the state of the world, on different things going on around Vancouver, and on things about me or things that I am doing that may be of interest to my followers. By posting these things, I'm connecting people together through the words I post, finding people with similar interests to me, making important strings of people that at any time I can count on to supply me with information, news, events and other things that may concern me or the people that follow me.
In this way, twitter has a huge capacity for finding people who are able to answer your questions, supply you with different opinions and allow for you to get a broad spectrum of ideas that float around out in cyberspace and all over the world. The twitterverse in that sense is much bigger, and much more useful for practical networking than a site like Facebook which really only allows you to network your real life friends, and the friends of those friends. Of course, Facebook has it's uses too.
I will give you a few personal stats here, and maybe it will give you a real idea of how much social networking has changed in the last 6 years:
In 2005 I started writing my very first blog. I posted on that blog close to 100 times and decided to close it off in 2007. In the 2 years I posted to that blog, I had 200 page views. In the 6 years it has been on the internet, it has had barely 250 views. In the time of 2005-2007 I thought that this was quite successful. My blog had 200 views! For someone 14, that's some kind of accomplishment, especially since this was on the cusp of the invention of social networking websites like Facebook.
In comparison:
In October 2010 I started posting to this blog. Since October, I have had 779 page views, not including any views that may happen to this post. In the past month, my blog has almost surpassed ALL the page views of my blog from 6 years ago. If I actually put effort into networking my blog, imagine the number of views I could have... the possibilities are endless.
The reason? Social networking. My #1 and #2 feeder sites to my blog? Facebook and Twitter respectively. I can almost guarentee that you found this post off of my personal Facebook page or my Twitter account. If you didn't, I am truely amazed, and thanks for taking a look!
I opened my Facebook account in early 2007, and my Twitter not so long after that although at the beginning I didn't use them much. Now of course I am an addict, and I've pretty much resigned myself to it. I decided to post to my facebook and twitter about the blog you are currently reading, not only so you would read it, but as a bit of a social experiment. How is it that in 6 months I could have 3 times as many views as a blog that has existed in cyberspace for 6 years?
Social Networking. It is the reality of the world. My words on this blog get read because you are socially networked to me via some program or website or you searched a random phrase and happened upon me. Without this new network of chains of people to connect you to me, this blog might have no views at all. My last blog barely got 1 view per post. On this blog, every post has at least 5 views, and some of my posts have exceeded 50 views.
Not only have you embraced my blog as an entertainment source (as I hope you get a tiny bit of enjoyment out of reading my blog!) but you have also provided me with the smallest amount of interesting data that allows me to say that personally, social networking has changed my life, and the amount of people who hear my voice. You, the people in my social network, the people who read my blog as I post, are the reason that I post, and you are the reason I will continue to explore the interesting ways that social networking can provide you with interesting new ways of enjoying life.
As my post is about networking, I thought I'd do a little bit of it myself and share with you a friend of mine's new blog. Revive Your Life is the new blog of my friend Taren, who is on the road to changing her life and becoming a personal trainer. It's a career that I am so excited to read about, and I am genuinely looking forward to reading her new blog just as much as I love to read her personal one!
I would also like to say, coming at the end of April 2011, I am starting up a new blog. I'm calling it Secrets of a Salon Student. I plan on using it to document my journey through hairdressing school, the trials, tribulations and successes of a girl attempting to reinvent herself, her career goals and her life as a whole. This is the official invite to join me on my journey, and I hope that I might get just as many views on that blog as I do on this one. The blog of course is in a Coming Soon stage, but I will be sure to remind you of it as I progress through the stages of getting myself into something I am so excited about. 36 days and counting, and I will be posting to my new blog as well as this one.
I hope you take a moment to think about your social network and the people in it, and that you are using your network to it's full capacity, and not just for killing time. While I do use those websites for some time wasting, I am genuinely working toward having a strong social network! This is the way the world is going, and I have decided to embrace it and get everything I can out of it before they start implanting computers into our brains or what ever direction technology decides to take.
Blog, and be happy! (Oh, and Go Canucks Go! #WinItForManny)
Kyleigh.
As many of you know, I am an avid Twitter and Facebook user. I'm also, obviously, a blogger, an email user, an occasional IM user, and I'm also finding my way through the world of Groupons and online deals. All of these things have one main source of power - The Social Network. It is what feeds our ability as a technology consumed society to be able to use the internet to efficiently waste time. Sort of.
I have come across many a person who do not believe in social networking, especially on a platform such as Twitter. Many people boo Twitter as being a "narcissistic way of posting about yourself constantly, but no one actually cares". While for some people this is the reality of Twitter, I believe there is a much more complex use for the system.
I won't lie. Do I use my twitter feed solely for the purpose of networking? No. I'm not sure anyone can completely use their twitter feed for the sole purpose of networking. But, I do use my twitter feed for posting, retweeting and updating people on the state of the world, on different things going on around Vancouver, and on things about me or things that I am doing that may be of interest to my followers. By posting these things, I'm connecting people together through the words I post, finding people with similar interests to me, making important strings of people that at any time I can count on to supply me with information, news, events and other things that may concern me or the people that follow me.
In this way, twitter has a huge capacity for finding people who are able to answer your questions, supply you with different opinions and allow for you to get a broad spectrum of ideas that float around out in cyberspace and all over the world. The twitterverse in that sense is much bigger, and much more useful for practical networking than a site like Facebook which really only allows you to network your real life friends, and the friends of those friends. Of course, Facebook has it's uses too.
I will give you a few personal stats here, and maybe it will give you a real idea of how much social networking has changed in the last 6 years:
In 2005 I started writing my very first blog. I posted on that blog close to 100 times and decided to close it off in 2007. In the 2 years I posted to that blog, I had 200 page views. In the 6 years it has been on the internet, it has had barely 250 views. In the time of 2005-2007 I thought that this was quite successful. My blog had 200 views! For someone 14, that's some kind of accomplishment, especially since this was on the cusp of the invention of social networking websites like Facebook.
In comparison:
In October 2010 I started posting to this blog. Since October, I have had 779 page views, not including any views that may happen to this post. In the past month, my blog has almost surpassed ALL the page views of my blog from 6 years ago. If I actually put effort into networking my blog, imagine the number of views I could have... the possibilities are endless.
The reason? Social networking. My #1 and #2 feeder sites to my blog? Facebook and Twitter respectively. I can almost guarentee that you found this post off of my personal Facebook page or my Twitter account. If you didn't, I am truely amazed, and thanks for taking a look!
I opened my Facebook account in early 2007, and my Twitter not so long after that although at the beginning I didn't use them much. Now of course I am an addict, and I've pretty much resigned myself to it. I decided to post to my facebook and twitter about the blog you are currently reading, not only so you would read it, but as a bit of a social experiment. How is it that in 6 months I could have 3 times as many views as a blog that has existed in cyberspace for 6 years?
Social Networking. It is the reality of the world. My words on this blog get read because you are socially networked to me via some program or website or you searched a random phrase and happened upon me. Without this new network of chains of people to connect you to me, this blog might have no views at all. My last blog barely got 1 view per post. On this blog, every post has at least 5 views, and some of my posts have exceeded 50 views.
Not only have you embraced my blog as an entertainment source (as I hope you get a tiny bit of enjoyment out of reading my blog!) but you have also provided me with the smallest amount of interesting data that allows me to say that personally, social networking has changed my life, and the amount of people who hear my voice. You, the people in my social network, the people who read my blog as I post, are the reason that I post, and you are the reason I will continue to explore the interesting ways that social networking can provide you with interesting new ways of enjoying life.
As my post is about networking, I thought I'd do a little bit of it myself and share with you a friend of mine's new blog. Revive Your Life is the new blog of my friend Taren, who is on the road to changing her life and becoming a personal trainer. It's a career that I am so excited to read about, and I am genuinely looking forward to reading her new blog just as much as I love to read her personal one!
I would also like to say, coming at the end of April 2011, I am starting up a new blog. I'm calling it Secrets of a Salon Student. I plan on using it to document my journey through hairdressing school, the trials, tribulations and successes of a girl attempting to reinvent herself, her career goals and her life as a whole. This is the official invite to join me on my journey, and I hope that I might get just as many views on that blog as I do on this one. The blog of course is in a Coming Soon stage, but I will be sure to remind you of it as I progress through the stages of getting myself into something I am so excited about. 36 days and counting, and I will be posting to my new blog as well as this one.
I hope you take a moment to think about your social network and the people in it, and that you are using your network to it's full capacity, and not just for killing time. While I do use those websites for some time wasting, I am genuinely working toward having a strong social network! This is the way the world is going, and I have decided to embrace it and get everything I can out of it before they start implanting computers into our brains or what ever direction technology decides to take.
Blog, and be happy! (Oh, and Go Canucks Go! #WinItForManny)
Kyleigh.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Firstly, Secondly and a P.S.
Alright. I'm going to make this quick (although that usually means nothing, as quick usually turns out to be pretty long) I have a few things to share that I just want to get out there.
Firstly: I joined a new gym! I'm pretty stoked! Some of you may have heard of Club 16, Trevor Linden Fitness. It's the new gym that opened up in Coquitlam where the old Eagle Ridge Theatre was (for those of you who read this and have no idea what I'm talking about or don't care, bear with me. This post gets very exciting... but later.) Anyway, it opened up in February, and I was meaning to go take a look at it quite some time ago, but I really never got around to it, so my mom and I dropped in on Sunday, and ended up signing up. $14.99 a month people! I used to pay $40.00 to go to a Just Ladies gym down the road, and this gym is WAY nicer than that gym. In any case, I'm stoked to go use it tomorrow on my first day off since I signed up, and I'm hoping to be there for a while. If you live in the area and want to check it out, I'd really suggest it! Trevor Linden Fitness website talks a lot about the gym, and the partnership She's Fit, which is the ladies only side of the gym! Very cool!
Secondly: This is really the point of this post. I can't help but say SOMETHING about it. For those of you not on Twitter, I will get you up to speed. There is a girl who has been a trending topic for... well, I would guess probably 2 or 3 days now, and her name has moved progressively higher on the list until today I just couldn't help it any more, and I had to find out who the heck Rebecca Black was, and why the hell she was trending for so long. I figured she was someone stupid saying something really dumb - probably about something she has no idea about. To be honest, I was expecting what I thought was the worst, but I was wrong. SO WRONG.
Please see the following video, and watch it all the way through in order to understand my horror. You have to watch the whole thing though. Promise? Okay. Go.
When I told you this post got better, was I not right? I can't even being to explain how hilarious this is.
It starts off, and I'm thinking "oh, okay, it's another random teenager trying to get famous"
NO. I WAS SO WRONG.
If she gets famous for more than this, I will seriously lose all faith in the music industry.
It's fun fun fun fun. I really wish today was Friday so I could say:
Yesterday was Thursday, today is Friday, tomorrow is Saturday, and Sunday comes afterward.
Thanks Rebecca Black. You made my life so easy now that your song tells me the days of the week.
Is this what music is coming to? FML if it is.
Now to leave you with something AMAZING. If you don't watch glee, that's okay. This is still an amazing song, one of the first original songs they've ever done. I enjoyed today's episode so much I needed to post something about it.... although this wasn't the happiest moment of the episode for me. K&B forever!!! =)
Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth,
So everyone can hear.
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down,
Baby I don't care.
Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out,
You wanna be, you wanna be
A loser like me!
Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your week! Have a good laugh, enjoy who you are (yes, even you Rebecca Black. I mostly feel sorry someone made you sing that song - you look like a fool.) and try to spend every minute the happiest you can be.
Blog, and be happy! (and Go, Canucks, Go!)
Kyleigh.
P.S. Thinking of Japan in their times of struggle. I hope you are too, and that you're able to give a little bit to the relief efforts to try and save the thousands of people who are now homeless and trying to look on the brighter side of a sad, sad tragedy.
Donate from your cellphone, text:
REDCROSS to 30333 for 5$ or REDCROSS to 90999 for 10$ donations (on most major carriers in Canada & USA)
Or find a donation box. They are everywhere, and they would be glad to take that extra dollar in your pocket!
Firstly: I joined a new gym! I'm pretty stoked! Some of you may have heard of Club 16, Trevor Linden Fitness. It's the new gym that opened up in Coquitlam where the old Eagle Ridge Theatre was (for those of you who read this and have no idea what I'm talking about or don't care, bear with me. This post gets very exciting... but later.) Anyway, it opened up in February, and I was meaning to go take a look at it quite some time ago, but I really never got around to it, so my mom and I dropped in on Sunday, and ended up signing up. $14.99 a month people! I used to pay $40.00 to go to a Just Ladies gym down the road, and this gym is WAY nicer than that gym. In any case, I'm stoked to go use it tomorrow on my first day off since I signed up, and I'm hoping to be there for a while. If you live in the area and want to check it out, I'd really suggest it! Trevor Linden Fitness website talks a lot about the gym, and the partnership She's Fit, which is the ladies only side of the gym! Very cool!
Secondly: This is really the point of this post. I can't help but say SOMETHING about it. For those of you not on Twitter, I will get you up to speed. There is a girl who has been a trending topic for... well, I would guess probably 2 or 3 days now, and her name has moved progressively higher on the list until today I just couldn't help it any more, and I had to find out who the heck Rebecca Black was, and why the hell she was trending for so long. I figured she was someone stupid saying something really dumb - probably about something she has no idea about. To be honest, I was expecting what I thought was the worst, but I was wrong. SO WRONG.
Please see the following video, and watch it all the way through in order to understand my horror. You have to watch the whole thing though. Promise? Okay. Go.
When I told you this post got better, was I not right? I can't even being to explain how hilarious this is.
It starts off, and I'm thinking "oh, okay, it's another random teenager trying to get famous"
NO. I WAS SO WRONG.
If she gets famous for more than this, I will seriously lose all faith in the music industry.
It's fun fun fun fun. I really wish today was Friday so I could say:
Yesterday was Thursday, today is Friday, tomorrow is Saturday, and Sunday comes afterward.
Thanks Rebecca Black. You made my life so easy now that your song tells me the days of the week.
Is this what music is coming to? FML if it is.
Now to leave you with something AMAZING. If you don't watch glee, that's okay. This is still an amazing song, one of the first original songs they've ever done. I enjoyed today's episode so much I needed to post something about it.... although this wasn't the happiest moment of the episode for me. K&B forever!!! =)
Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth,
So everyone can hear.
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down,
Baby I don't care.
Keep it up and soon enough you'll figure out,
You wanna be, you wanna be
A loser like me!
Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your week! Have a good laugh, enjoy who you are (yes, even you Rebecca Black. I mostly feel sorry someone made you sing that song - you look like a fool.) and try to spend every minute the happiest you can be.
Blog, and be happy! (and Go, Canucks, Go!)
Kyleigh.
P.S. Thinking of Japan in their times of struggle. I hope you are too, and that you're able to give a little bit to the relief efforts to try and save the thousands of people who are now homeless and trying to look on the brighter side of a sad, sad tragedy.
Donate from your cellphone, text:
REDCROSS to 30333 for 5$ or REDCROSS to 90999 for 10$ donations (on most major carriers in Canada & USA)
Or find a donation box. They are everywhere, and they would be glad to take that extra dollar in your pocket!
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