Sweeetstyle

Bienvenidos al Año Nuevo

2010-01-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

by NIW

I'm back from a bit of a hiatus from blogging, but just to check-in for now. I've been quite pre-occupied with this and that during my absence and mulling around topics to blog about and I did try to post some entries, but thinking of a new year overhaul of my whole blog look. Need a fresh new inspiration and so, I'm working on it. In the meantime, Happy 2010 to all of you out there, a new year and renewed hopes for a great outcome.

Looking forward to taking a lot more pictures and talking about lifestyle stories on here in the next few weeks.

Cheers!

The Goats Who Stare at Men

2009-11-08T17:16:00.000-08:00

by ADAD

Everyone has heard the story about the boy who cried wolf. He keeps crying wolf and the people heed his calls time and again only to find there is no wolf. This makes for a disastrous outcome when there finally is a wolf, but by this time no one believes the boy.

The new release from Overture Films, “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is billed (or should I say promoted) as a surreal comedy of fact based accounts of the US militaries experiments on harnessing, creating, and exploiting mind-power and psychic warriors. Although I haven’t seen it, I’m probably going to (at least that’s what I’m compelled to do after viewing the trailers. Not sure if that’s clever mind control, but I guess commercials usually are). Just a quick Google search of the background story and you begin to see how un-comedic this story really is. Actually, it’s a little unnerving just writing about it. Especially when you learn the extent the Canadian government had gotten involved (physician Donald Ewen Cameron, creator of the "psychic driving" concept was paid $69,000 from 1957 to 1964 to carry out MKULTRA experiments and had later provided another $500,000 in funding to continue the experiments. The Canadian government eventually settled out of court for $100,000 to each of the 127 victims.). Reading about the CIA funded human experiments on psychotropic drugs (Project MK-ULTRA), secretly administering doses of LSD to unsuspecting persons and recording the effects, tax-payer moneys funding such unethical means without knowing, the destruction of evidence so that any investigation would be inconclusive (CIA Director Richard Helms ordered all MK-ULTRA files destroyed in 1973), to the story of Harold Blauer, a professional tennis player in New York City, who died as a result of a secret Army experiment involving MDA.

Frank Olson, a United States Army biochemist and biological weapons researcher, was given LSD without his knowledge or consent in 1953 as part of a CIA experiment, and died under suspicious circumstances (initially labelled suicide) a week later following a severe psychotic episode. A CIA doctor assigned to monitor Olson's recovery claimed to be asleep in another bed in a New York City hotel room when Olson jumped through the window to fall ten stories to his death. This is realizing that this story wasn’t from some hokey 1950’s sci-fi. This is accepting that the movie “The Men Who Stare at Goats” takes place during the Iraq war.

This is knowing who was in the White House at the time and whose “Daddy” was head of the CIA. You don’t spend millions, if not billions, on non-truths. That kind of dough is spent on making truths seem silly. I guess as silly as watching grown men stare at goats.

Have Fun While Getting Fit

2009-11-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

by NIW

How many times did you swear you'd get fit, but then just end up sitting on your couch and watching TV with your treadmill in your peripherals? Your intentions are good, but sometimes, working out seems to, well, feel just like work.

Believe it or not, you can make your fitness plans more fun. Here's a little something for inspiration. So, keep fit, be creative, have fun, and enjoy!

Indulge Yourself!

2009-11-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

By NIW

On one of my last doctor’s appointments prior to having the baby, I decided to treat myself to lunch with one of my favourite cuisines – Malaysian!

I went to Banana Leaf Restaurant on W. Broadway and Willow. This restaurant has several locations and I’ve only been to the one downtown before. I must say that I prefer the Broadway location for its spaciousness and ambience, which is warmer or “homier”, as compared to the downtown space. As expected, it was busy with the lunch crowd of mostly people working around the area. Despite this, I didn’t have to wait long and was seated at a nice, central table where I could take in the décor and would be served promptly.

I already knew what I wanted, but would probably order everything on the menu if I had my way. After all, I could still use the “eating for two” mantra at the time. I had a half order of their delicious Roti Canai - flaky layered bread with curry dip and Satay Chicken and Gado-Gado with Rice - pork skewers served with bean sprouts salad topped with peanut dressing. I just had ice water with my lunch to convince myself that I was not going to overdo it by ordering pop.
It was an unhurried time for me, a real treat. I picked up a newspaper and was actually able to have a chance to read a few articles from start to finish as I ate. The host and servers were quite hospitable and efficient. I had a really pleasant time, one of the last moments of solitude I would have for some time to come. If you’re like me, I would really recommend treating yourself like this every so often. It really re-charged me and it is a simple pleasure that you can indulge in wherever you’re located and without breaking the bank.

Halloween Treats

2009-11-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

by NIW

This year’s was one of the best Halloweens for Cain. We went to a neighbourhood close to a family-oriented park and Community Centre where the streets were full of the hustle and bustle of princesses and superheroes.

Most of the houses were lit up, with dressed up hosts and hostesses filled with the Halloween spirit. The theme colours of orange and purple were abundant in the porch décor, while animated bats and floating ghosts hung eerily on clotheslines. Cain had his lines perfected, knowing when to ring the doorbell when a knock simply would not suffice. They loved his Iron Man and his two bags full of goodies were evidence enough.

Baby, Bring My Body Back!

2009-10-31T01:26:00.000-07:00

By NIW

How can you get back into shape after having a baby? Here are my thoughts on how it can be done.

Cain & Lukas

Had my baby son, Lukas, 2 weeks ago, and his due date was not even supposed to be until yesterday! It’s so amazing to finally see him though, after almost 9 months “under wraps”, kicking and making fists as I change his diaper. Like many moms, I sometimes miss that exclusive feeling of my baby’s kicks and movements inside my tummy, but in the end, nothing beats holding him close to me in my arms, nuzzling him, and hearing his little voice. He’s a little trooper and I’m glad he didn’t wait to come out into the world because he’s got so much more to see out here.

Before Lukas was conceived, I was on my way to reaching and maintaining my fitness goals, so during my pregnancy it was only normal for me to be extra aware of watching my weight and to already be planning my postnatal food and exercise plan. Now, with Lukas arriving two weeks early, that time has come! My plan is pretty simple, and with these trying economic times, I’m keeping it free or affordable.

circa February 2009

For me, I found that a low carb, higher protein diet worked best so I broke out the old Atkin’s cookbook that I had in storage. I found that many of the recipes actually taste delicious and present well if you’re going to be sharing the meals with others. The great thing is, you don’t even have to buy this cookbook because they have all the recipes on the Atkins website for free if you have internet access. Gotta love the web!

Exercise doesn’t mean signing up for expensive gym memberships, or multiple gym drop-in fees. It could be free or almost free. I have several options open to me: my now open-ended/month-to-month ladies gym membership which has dropped down in cost almost 50% from the original contract price (added bonus is that I have a couple of girlfriends who are also members of the same gym and we can get together at any location to work out from time to time), my current Wii Fit and Jillian Michaels (also for the Wii) games, my workout DVDs, my hubby’s adjustable 5 and 10 lbs. dumbbell set and my own pair of dumbbells at 2.5 lbs. each, my free collection of targeted workout routines gathered from various magazine clippings and internet bookmarks, and good old outdoor exercises like walking, jogging, and sports played with my family or friends. I’m also very close to our brand new neighbourhood community centre where I can try out neat workout packages like “Baby and Me” yoga, for a very reasonable price.

Getting it all down on this blog gets me psyched up all over again, but I am also getting to know my body again, so I’m making sure that I don’t skimp on the birth recovery time for safety and health reasons. I pay attention to what my body feels when I make out the movements of a workout and don’t cause myself pain in the process. I seek and gain support from my hubby and kids, by involving them in my fitness efforts, with the intention of inspiring each other to stay strong, healthy, and looking and feeling fit for life.

The MMA Experiment?

2009-10-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

by NIW

Dropping off my other boy for his first day of class at Dynamic MMA.

I guess I'm a little lucky or I just know how to pick 'em, but my guy's in great shape. When I look at him in that "office inappropriate" way, he just smiles and gives me that, "forty's the new thirty" spiel. Recently, the 5-minute fitness guru is having second thoughts about his results or his goals.

A photo of one of the instructors, Adam Ryan (center), with Montreal's Georges St.-Pierre (right), taken from Dynamic MMA's site.

Sure, he's been able to keep in shape with minimal effort. His unorthodox way has seemed to work for him, until recently. After attending a BC Lions football game I noticed he loved the experience, but something was on his mind. He later opened up to me and admitted that he felt a little weird watching the game. Being so close to the field had brought out his competitive side, but jumping onto the field would have only gotten him arrested.

"A Healthy body, is a healthy mind." It was all part of his process and I needn't worry that I'd be getting a call to pick him up at the police station. He wanted to do something. Test himself responsibly. Can he run a marathon? Swim or cycle a circuit? He had style, but he wanted substance. He didn't want to be "yuppie" strong. If he was to pick a training regimen, he wanted it to be practical, functional, and fun. Something that made sense. If he needed to, it would come in handy. If he had to, it would be useful. It would be something that stimulates the mind and causes neural connections. At least this is how he presented his case to me. Carefully outlining his reasons for his choice and, showing his conviction, he actually quit smoking after 15 years. This is when he told me of his decision to begin training in Mixed Martial Arts. Yes, I said MMA.

SWEEET Eats! - The Locus on Main

2009-10-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

By NIW

On my hubby's birthday, the kids and I took him out for dessert at a cool little place on Main St. called The Locus (aka Locus Cafe/Restaurant). We had been there several times before and it had always been a wonderful experience, this time was no different.

As you can see from the photos, the ambience is quite artsy and lounge-y, where they feature (for sale) different local artists' works on their walls or perhaps as part of the their movable decor, which keeps the atmosphere fresh and adding to the cafe's own already unique vibe.

We indulged ourselves in their decadent desserts and hot drinks this time around, but they also offer up delicious appies, ample sharing choices, and entrees. Being licensed, The Locus has a well-rounded drink menu as well.

My little guy is normally well-behaved and that night was not an exception. I was pleased at how The Locus staff were cool about a 5-year-old patron coming into their space (there were no awkward, "they brought their kid in here?!?", vibes from them, like some other places in the city). Of course, YOU have to make sure your kid(s) is/are ready to be in such environments, and have respect for the restaurant by not letting them run wildly around the tables.

Check out The Locus for date-night, girls-night-out, or just because it's a cool place. I've linked to their site above, and they're located at 4121 Main St., Vancouver (Southwest of Main and King Edward).

The UFC in Vancouver? It's already here...

2009-10-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

by NIW

Should have posted this earlier, but was contemplating if I should use the video that I took of the MMA "flash fight" that happened on Sept. 12, 2009 behind the Vancouver Art Gallery on Robson, or if I should find a clearer version on the net. Alas, I deleted my blurry version from my phone cam and opted for the professional one posted by the organizers responsible for staging the event on YouTube.

Here's an excerpt from a Vancouver Sun article by Chris Parry on the event. "From the moment we opened the doors of the van, through the set-up of the ring, introductions, the fight itself, then getting everything and everyone back into the van, took a total of four minutes," said organizer Iman Rahmim Wednesday. Rahmim asked Vancouver City Council for permission to hold a full event on the Art Gallery lawn but was refused, he says, due to the controversial nature of the sport. "We wanted to go through more legitimate channels to put on a show, so people could see entertaining matches between decent fighters, but the city wasn't receptive towards that at all," said Ramim. "They told us that companies can't book that space at all and it's not supposed to be used for protests, though everyone knows it's the hub for protests in Vancouver." "They told us, given the nature of it, the controversy, there's no way we'd approve it." So they did it anyway. "What we wanted to do was just raise awareness around the city about the UFC and MMA, and the fact that the city has just been dragging its feet way too long - the province too - on regulating the sport.," he said. "We didn't want to upset anybody, we'd just prefer to have people see it's a good sport that could be quite entertaining and lucrative for the city."

Now, that's a bit of SWEEET positive aggression.

SWEEET Eats! - Gold Mills Filipino Cuisine

2009-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

by NIW

Running some errands yesterday afternoon and decided to check out a Filipino restaurant that just opened up on Kingsway and Fraser in Vancouver called, Gold Mills.

The first thing we noticed is that the restaurant's name is not conventional for a food place, but definitely a positive one, for the owners! Simple printed signs with names of some Filipino dishes are posted on the inside windows for prospective customers to see as they walk by. Upon stepping inside, the modesty of the decor continues, actually, aside from a few tables, the space is still very sparse. We did like the 2 large photographs printed on canvas hanging by the left wall, one directly above the table we chose. They also have a flat screen TV on the far front-facing wall set to the Filipino channel.

We found out that Gold Mills is operated by a nice, accommodating couple, with the wife as chef and hailing from Pampanga, Philippines. She pointed us to the white board behind her with the neatly printed names of the dishes and goodies that they're serving with the prices beside them and the pricing was comparable to other Filipino places around the city.

She mentioned that they always have ready-made dishes in the display case warmer and that they cater to customers who want made-to-order dishes such as Pancit Bihon (rice stick noodle dish), etc. Despite her warm and welcoming ways, it was hard to ignore that several of the foods in the display case still had their steel lids on them and none of the dishes displayed had visible labels letting customers know what type of dishes they were and the white board items could have been better categorized, while coloured photos of the dishes that they offer posted inside the restaurant would go a long way in tantalizing their customers' appetites, but that being said, they are quite new and we did go there for the food.

Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos of the food this time, except for the dessert, but we ordered their Beef Kaldereta (Philippine beef stew), Shrimp Sinigang (Shrimp in Sour Soup), Spare Ribs in Soy-based Sauce, and steamed rice for lunch for 4 people. For dessert, the kids had Mango Ice Popsicles, and we shared a Halo-Halo (Philippine Shaved Ice Dessert). The portions were generous for the price and it all tasted great, my favourite being the Spare Ribs. The meat for the Caldereta and the Spare Ribs were very tender, which was another plus.

Overall, I would recommend you to try out Gold Mills for yourself when you are in the area and if you are craving Filipino food. They are located in a small plaza on the Northeast side of Kingsway and Fraser at #5-701 Kingsway St., Vancouver.

Word on the Street - Vancouver 2009

2009-10-04T00:56:00.000-07:00

by NIW

Last Sunday, September 27, 2009, the family and I, ventured downtown using the newly completed Canada Line to Library Square to check out this year’s Word on the Street, an annual book and magazine festival that celebrates literacy and the written word. Albeit a little windy, it could not have been a more perfect day and place to have held this important event. Walking around to visit the various booths both outdoor and indoor, was quite enjoyable, for the venue was a well-organized one. There were a lot of mini-events, book signings, and of course, glorious books and publications, but still, the atmosphere remained fun, cool, and casual with the rich sounds of Mexico coming from the Mainstage where Mariachi Del Sol performed soft, romantic ballads and lively ranchero songs.

We got there at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon and decided to catch the 2:30 PM panel discussion, “How to Launch a Magazine”, already in progress. Members of the panel were Nick Noorani, who launched the Canadian Immigrant in 2004, Alex Moreau, Co-Publisher of Between the Cracks, Gudrun Will, Editor-in-Chief of Vancouver Review, and Victor Chew Wong, Co-Founder of Make it Business (with Lisa Manfield, Managing Editor of Orato.com, as panel moderator). I knew of Nick Noorani as a client when I was working for a print company in the past and was inspired by his business sense. Hearing him share valuable information about how he grew his magazine to its’ current 82,000 readership right from his own home, was a testament to me that if you’re motivated and competent in your abilities to succeed, you will! In fact, all of the panellists offered the very information that I was seeking for some time in regards to Magazine start-ups, from creative down to the business end of the process. It also helped that they delivered the information objectively and without unnecessarily sugar-coating their experiences.

The kids got some cool swag from the event and we even got to see punk rock journalist, Nardwuar The Human Serviette, inside the Library’s Alice McKay Room downstairs, as he screened selected video interviews he had done over the years, including, Gene Simmons, Snoop Doggy Dog, Michael Moore, etc. Word Under the Street booths were also set-up in the same room, showcasing local alternative comic book artists and ‘zines.
We ended the day walking down towards Pacific Centre indulging in street-bought smokies and ice-cold pop. The word on the street is that it was perfect dog-day afternoon.

How to NEVER Miss an Opportunity.

2009-09-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

A Concept of Cain Release

“There is no spoon.”- small kid from the movie "The Matrix"

op⋅por⋅tu⋅ni⋅ty
Pronunciation [op-er-too-ni-tee, -tyoo-] –noun, plural -ties.

1. an appropriate or favorable time or occasion: Their meeting afforded an opportunity to exchange views.
2. a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.
3. a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.

Is this an example of a missed opportunity?
“I could’ve bought stock in that company, but, I didn’t. Now, that stock is worth a lot more."

Are you the kind of person who spends time thinking and focusing about investing in a company, only to back out at the last minute?
Unless you consistently waste your focus, time, and energy, your answer would be NO.

All that can happen to you will happen where you are.
Where you are is what you think about, not where you think of being.
Where you think of being is not where you’ll be.
As always, you are what you think about.
You’ll be what you are.
What you are, of course, has a lot to do with where you are and what you do.

Which statement is true?
A) Preparation meets opportunity.
B) You create your own opportunities.
C) Both of the above.

The truth is, these statements suggest a degree of chance or risk not yet taken. The outcome is undetermined.
Power and control over circumstance is lost. A goal may or may not be achieved.
The mistake is to believe an opportunity can exist in the future.
You can’t miss the future.
You can reflect on the past.
You can only DO what is your present circumstance.
What you’re doing and how you do it is your control.
Knowing this is your power.

Have Faith, will travel…FAR!

2009-09-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

by NIW

I’m sure many of you have seen, or read the story about Faith the dog before, but for those of you who haven’t (like me), it may just be a SWEEET pick me up or it may turn out to be a story that will make you entirely change the way that you look at situations in your own life.

Faith was originally born with three legs, but in the end, due to some further complications, her deformed left front leg had to be amputated when she was a seven-month-old pup, leaving her with only her two hind legs for mobility and support. Faith’s survival is the miracle in this story, the rest is a lesson in humanity and perseverance.

Faith’s rescuer and owner, Jude Stringfellow, took the helpless pup under her wing and went against the odds stacked upon her by veterinarians in keeping Faith alive and training her how to walk like a human using her two hind legs. It’s true that Faith is a dog, not a human, and that her situation seems other-worldly, but somehow she took to Jude’s training and today her presence continues to imbibe the human trait of perseverance and, well, faith - that Jude had imparted upon her.

Last week, as I was checking my e-mails, I saw one from a good friend of mine from way back. His e-mail was about this amazing dog, whose story is proving that when one doesn’t think they are tackling an obstacle, they are able to experience life better. Faith has shown me that when you go through day by day just doing your own thing in a positive way, other people just send out their good vibrations of admiration freely your way because your positive actions serve as an inspiration to them.

(Click on Faith's photo above to see her official website where you can learn more about her.)

SWEEET Ideas are the Seeds of Opportunity

2009-09-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

Quote from the book: My Friend Efren – Volume 2

“Everything you use, from necessity to luxury, is something that has found identity and function in the scale of need. Your common relation to these things is that you are capable of realizing dreams or thoughts as much as the people who have made what it is you use. Why?

The ability to identify or give function to something that becomes registered on the scale of need is the capacity of one’s mind to understand an experience that they can relate to, but didn’t have, due to situational circumstance.
Dreams are realized.
It’s just a matter of who’s doing what.”

Dream of Doing

2009-09-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

Quote from the book: My Friend Efren – Volume 2

"Dreamers that surround themselves with other dreamers find that they sleep too much.

Doers that surround themselves with other doers find that they sleep too little.

Dreamers or Doers that surround themselves with the other find that they can’t sleep at all.

When a Dreamer does and a Doer dreams, they and those around them, sleep well."

(My Friend Efren is a series of books that visually interpret positive actions and their role in shaping a child’s future. Creative short stories, passages, and illustrations are presented in this independently produced, entertaining compilation from a Vancouver artist/author collaboration.)

Arriving at What You Love - Part 3: More about Knowing Yourself

2009-08-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

By NIW

Now that you’ve had a chance to take your MBTI test and read about your type, here’s a link from Peter Geyer’s site, “Personality Pathways”, that discusses what usefulness knowing your type can be in different aspects of your life: http://tiny.cc/YjHbx.

There are a couple of tests that you can do to determine your needs and values which are key to finding out more about yourself here: Needs: http://tiny.cc/gxzr9 and Personal Values: http://tiny.cc/kqKqO, but I recently found another test that piqued my interest and it is based on a particular psychological belief called “Locus of Control”. The following description is taken from Wikipedia: “Locus of control is a term in psychology which refers to a person's belief about what causes the good or bad results in his or her life, either in general or in a specific area such as health or academics. Understanding of the concept was developed by Julian B. Rotter in 1954, and has since become an important aspect of personality studies.

Locus of control refers to the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them. Individuals with a high internal locus of control believe that events result primarily from their own behavior and actions. Those with a high external locus of control believe that powerful others, fate, or chance primarily determine events. Those with a high internal locus of control have better control of their behavior, tend to exhibit more political behaviors, and are more likely to attempt to influence other people than those with a high external locus of control; they are more likely to assume that their efforts will be successful. They are more active in seeking information and knowledge concerning their situation.

One's "locus" (Latin for "place" or "location") can either be internal (meaning the person believes that they control their life) or external (meaning they believe that their environment, some higher power, or other people control their decisions and their life).”

If you are curious about your Locus of Control, here is a test I found on it: http://tiny.cc/4ypX6

Again, have a light-hearted time in discovering yourself. Coming up next, Step 2 in the Action Agenda.

Arriving at What You Love - Part 2: Your Action Agenda

2009-08-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

by NIW

In re-aligning your life to what you love to be doing, you need to have a plan, and, yes, you need to have it in writing, not just floating around in your brain’s “to do list”. Mental to do lists usually stay where they are – in your head! That’s what one of my course instructors told me about goal setting and I agree with her, after all, she wouldn’t have gotten her teaching credentials in career coaching all those years ago if she didn’t practice what she preached. It made sense for me and my trying something different that could get me on the life track I wanted to be on was just a good investment. Here’s what I came up with for “the plan” after personal research and training. Arriving at what you love – Action Agenda:

Get to know yourself
Use new knowledge to envision your current life as your future
Draw up your goals to succeed
Maintain consistent positivity in your new life with readily available resources
Make a difference in many ways

1) Get to know yourself

Okay, time to dig deeper to find out what makes you tick and what it is about you that makes you love what you love in your life. I found this step to be a lot of fun because my self-realization made me understand about good and bad interactions in my past and a lot of revealing information about motivations that fuelled my life. It made me look at the not-so-positive aspects from my past, and logically, I wanted to offset those with more positive ones for my present and future life. Like I mentioned before, this is a good investment for me and though it did involve some work, keeping my best interests in mind, reminded me to have fun in this step of the process.

The first exercise in finding about yourself starts with your past up until now. For this, I suggest creating a personal lifeline of events from your birth to present. I love pictures so I created a visual one for myself, so you can be really creative with this one. I have included a sample for you here: http://h1.ripway.com/sweeetstyle/ExamplePersonalLifeline.pdf. Next up, doing some tests...

Personality tests are nothing new, in fact, I notice that social networking sites such as Facebook is notorious for popularizing tests through third-party applications. Of course, many of the tests on Facebook and other sources are just made-up for pure entertainment value, but there are also personality tests out there that are more in-depth in quality when used for self-assessment as they are derived from actual scientific or philosophical models. One of the tests that I really find useful is the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI test. Here’s short excerpt from Wikipedia about MBTI: “The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. These preferences were extrapolated from the typological theories originated by Carl Gustav Jung, as published in his 1921 book Psychological Types (English edition, 1923).” And here, the link I used to find my MBTI type (Note: Think about the questions and really give your honest answers for truest results): http://tiny.cc/WowGV. Once I found out my type, I read a personal report about it on this site where it shows you what’s it like to be your type: http://tiny.cc/EcgNe (Note: Once you find out your type, just click on your type and read about yourself). I also found out about my type and how it relates to relationships in my life from this site: http://tiny.cc/DR5JR. There are some more tests that are on my list for this step, but I’ll leave you with this for today. As always, I am interested in your feedback on SWEEETstyle posts, so feel free to share your thoughts about what you learned from doing the MBTI analysis for yourself. Cheers!

District 9 - Not another Alien Invasion....REALLY!

2009-08-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

by NIW

Last night, after watching District 9, I came away impressed. Of course, I was a little close to the movie starting time so I couldn’t really complain about being relegated to sitting in the section where I had to manipulate my body into a slouched recline position, four rows away from the big screen. Luckily, watching at that close proximity only caused eyestrain during the upcoming movie trailers, which, by the way, turned out to be an influx of vampire and zombie movies, most probably in time for Halloween. I’m going to try to not have any spoilers here and will just touch on how I personally received the movie. You can draw your own conclusions when you watch it and I recommend that you do.

As the feature movie came on, the mock news footage (not remiss of "camera jiggle") on screen was reminiscent of scenes from previous movies of similar style, but the comparison ends there. The movie progresses quite quickly, methodical in laying out the framework of the film’s plot and early on, I buy into the realism that the film intentionally puts out. Don’t get me wrong, District 9 is still very much an action film, complete with blood and gore (hence, the R rating), but because of the realistic elements evident throughout the film, I almost forget its Sci-Fi film classification, until I see the Aliens’ physical make-up again (which is often much too close for comfort). Though director/script writer Neill Blomkamp's focus was on the film plot's plausibility rather than on infusing the film with Hollywood hi-tech special effects or over-the-top CGI, the aliens were still impressive in all their hideously recalcitrant glory. For that, we have to thank computer animators and technicians at the Vancouver visual-effects company, Image Engine, whose next venture is orchestrating the werewolf transformations for the currently filming Twilight sequel Eclipse.

When I mentioned realism, I was talking about the fact that the movie’s aliens who are unexpectedly stranded in Johannesburg, South Africa, were treated just like any people in our human race that are discriminated against for being different based on specific standards. It was apartheid all over again with the aliens segregated in their own separate area (from humans), a kind of shanty-town concentration camp called District 9, complete with their own derogatory designation of “Prawns”. Unlike some sci-fi flicks, District 9 asks not the question of, “What would aliens do to us?”, but “What would we do to them?”, and you need only look at the history of how we treat our own species to find the answer.

District 9’s unlikely protagonist is in pencil pushing bureaucrat, Wikus Van De Merwe (well-portrayed by actor, Sharlto Copley), whose personal sentiments towards the residents of District 9 goes through an interesting transformation that is both ironic and pivotal to the story. Thanks to the collaboration of director Peter Jackson (of Lord of The Rings fame), Vancouver-based director/scriptwriter Neill Blomkamp, and script co-writer, long-time colleague, and fellow Canadian, Terri Tatchell, District 9 is a well-crafted film that is not only intelligent, but is also in-depth in its sociological depiction of humans vs. extra-terrestrials.

"The Secret's" Secret

2009-08-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

A Concept of Cain Release

For the mass of people who’ve made the “Secret” what it is today (that is to say, for the masses that didn’t know it), or people who refer to it as new age-y as sliced bread and Scientology. It'‘s crafted in such a way, it became diluted or all encompassing.

A generation of the non-sales population being introduced to the benefits of the Laws of Attraction, the like attract likes. The “Secret” brought a popularity to it that was absorbed by almost every form of belief or faith. As belief and faith is claimed, its division is reflected like fractal geometry. A commodity to be bought or searched for, like it was something to get.
But, it’s been awhile since Oprah oprah’d about it, and the cast of the movie could probably hold reunion tours. After all, it only explained what was always there. The ambient.
Like attracts like. Mission accomplished. Opposites are parallels. A loud voice can be a whisper. "The Secret’s” secret.
It does what it does.

Arriving at What You Love - Part 1

2009-08-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

by NIW

When you were a child, things WERE simple. You discovered what things you liked and focused on getting them somehow, you also knew the things that were fun to do and you either did them with your friends or enjoyed them on your own. You were simple then. You did not need to take time to figure out if you knew yourself, instead, in engaging in the things that made you happy, you were just confident in your own skin and in so being, you DID know yourself.

It was only when you learned about, how, many people other than yourself, in this vast world, look at and deal with choices that they have to make that things started to become more and more complicated for you. You move farther away from your self-assuredness, question your own choices against other people’s, and in search of wisdom, you let too many influences in and gradually lose yourself. At this point, you either fluke out and stumble upon what you love to do, or like many others at that same stage, you settle onto something that you think you love or grow to love in the process.

I have been at that point and, unfortunately, I wasn’t the one with the fluke. My search for wisdom led me to believe that the best career would be the one where you earned better than average wages, and earning incrementally more as you trudged through the years in the same company with due diligence. Yes, there were also a lot of valuable lessons to be learned during that time, but it was the settling for that career that made me lose sight of ways I could apply those same lessons in bettering myself instead of just the company’s bottom line.

Luckily, it is not too late to re-work my thinking to accommodate career and lifestyle choices better suited to me. In fact, though it may be clichéd, it is never too late for many of us. This is the first of a short series of posts that show how I arrived at what I love to do. Though my experience was an eye-opener for me, I know that there are a lot of people out there who have also gone through the same process and feel that it’s good to share the knowledge. Who knows, you may be just around the corner from finding what it is that you truly love to do in this lifetime.

The Inadvertent Advertisement

2009-08-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

A Concept of Cain Release

“Personalised advertising evolved into an online anti-depressant, a pixelized Prozac, the cyber self-esteem booster.”

The goal in advertising is to “be what you see”. Ad companies have traditionally tried to attract/gain your attention/focus, or passively be where you are looking. These are the loud, brightly offensive signs on awnings above Laundromats or convenience stores, or maybe they’re the celebrities of pop culture, the lulling nag of the mainstream voice, the omnipresent advertising blitz determined to distract you from not noticing ads by being everywhere you look.

Ads always try to acquire the sense of trust to legitimize its brand or product. Consumers require trust when making choices to want good food, great shelter, and nice clothes.

The ad cycle shifts to reflect how “lifestyle” is influencing advertising success.
Where have all the eyes gone?

Social networking sites, such as, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, created personalized communities as part of an online culture. Ad networks, like Google Adsense, or the collaboration of Microsoft and Yahoo demonstrate how companies adapt advertising to maintain “being what you see”. This obsession has led to interesting circumstances when it comes to companies coveting the attention of the masses. Keeping that attention creates trust.

The online advertising medium has realized that consumers can sell to themselves. We simply want what we like. Necessities or luxuries, it’s always the experience that it gives us, that matters. When introducing a new experience (i.e.: a new product), trust is paramount.

Personalized advertising evolved into an online anti-depressant, a pixelized Prozac, the cyber self-esteem booster. It is the equivalent of my own face, or someone I know, on the can of corn that I eat (i.e.: ad networks that tailor to a blog site's subject matter, displaying products that are relative to the content). My face is on the can of corn because it happens to be the brand that I buy, the taste that I like.

The population growth of online communities and adaptive personalized advertising, takes consumers center stage with celebrities, logos, mascots, and jingles, all trying to attract your attention, and gain consumer trust.

Venues, such as SWEEETstyle, take the opportunity to adapt the process and promote trust with a product by personalizing an Individuals’ lifestyle.

As SWEEETstyle profiles innovative individuals of online communities, with the stage to accept the honourary role of representing achievements, its magazine and multimedia styled spread are personalized. This pre-determined trust allows consumers the experience, once reserved for pop culture figures or media-made celebrities, as being featured alongside brands and products. Essentially selling ourselves what we want to buy.

After all, we all want to eat good food, have great shelter, and nice clothes.
The personalized advertising movement is still an open market that transcends traditional methods and connects directly to the consumers.

Sci-Fi technology that scans you and integrates your face and image into movies and commercials used to seem Sci-Fi cool.

15 minutes of fame is outdated.
Welcome the next generation.

Video Inspiration Post: Teen Millionaires

2009-08-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Just goes to show what's possible out there when you are passionate about what you want and driven to achieve it.

Short clip about Cameron Johnson's and Ashley Qualls' success stories to inspire us. Read about a local teen who is following this creative cultural renaissance in SWEEETstyle's post: Rising Minds of Today's Entrepreneurial Youths.

Rising Minds of Today's Entrepreneurial Youths

2009-08-11T01:17:00.000-07:00

A Concept of Cain Release

A SWEEETstyle Profile:
There are things in life that the majority of us react to in a disconnected way. The things we think wouldn’t or couldn’t happen, until it creeps closer to home. These are the freak accidents, the rare occurrences, or…in this case, the recession.

You’ve heard the stories of people who’ve lost their jobs or the people who can’t find employment. I picked up one of those free daily newspapers as I usually do on my way to work and read an article illustrating the trouble students were having in finding summer jobs. A group of kids got on the bus (I assume they were students from the way they interacted with each other: “Hey, so and so, haven’t seen you since so and so’s class…”) who were actually talking about the same exact subject in the news article. They were now competing with the recession casualties for the same positions traditionally opened to their demographic and were frustrated by the difficulties in finding employment. It was like having the script in the article acted out live, right in front of me!
Surreal, but interesting.
Though I’m probably not going to encounter that same group of kids again anytime soon, I know that they’ll still have to either keep looking for jobs or do something else.

That same newspaper also had a story on some kind of economic fraud, schemes, scams, dips in money markets, and stocks losing value which made me wonder about what all goes into the decision people make in their choice to invest in others versus investing in themselves. I have some theories, though I think the answer really lies in the way our generation was brought up, socially. I’m sure the education system is always evolving, but to me, as I was growing up, I always believed school gave people the tools to get a job (conforming to the norm), instead of being presented as a resource to get the skills to create a job (evolving by adapting to changing conditions).

As a self-proclaimed, reformed ex-slacker, I and others, witnessed that gem of circumstance, that rare occurrence when, through adversity, adaptation becomes the seed of evolution. The economic downturn has given birth to a cultural creative renaissance.

SWEEETstyle looks at the rising minds of today’s entrepreneurial youths and features K3Ubasilan’s story.

K3Ubasilan was founded in mid 2008 by Nia Basilan. K3Ubasilan’s focus is all about sewing and fashion designing. From a simple passion, it has gone on to become a perfect example of a constant, a recurring theme, a consistent drive, a life obsession that became a realized dream. SWEEETstyle profiles this fab fourteen year old in an exclusive interview.

Ss: What made you turn a hobby into a business?
K3Ub: Well, I simply love sewing ever since my Mom signed me up for my first sewing lessons when I was about 6 years old. Also, with a few friends and family asking me to sew things for them, whether it is a shirt or a skirt. I started to search up designers and decided, why don’t I make my own business?
Ss: Have you thought of growing your business? How?
K3Ub: Yes, I started with creating my company and brand name and then moved on to featuring some of my items and then doing some orders through my Facebook group and blog. I learn more everyday on how to make my own designs.
Ss: What advice would you give to other teen entrepreneurs who want to make their own mark?
K3Ub: Try and do something you love because you will want to do it more, whether it’s for money or not. Research, learn, and do.
Ss: During the school year, how do you find the balance when dealing with the normal school pressures of homework and social life and the responsibilities of running K3Ubasilan?
K3Ub: Simple, when I’m too stressed from homework or studying, I’ll stop and sew something small to stop the stress. One of my friend’s moms told me, “You can relieve stress by doing something you love”, which in my case is sewing.
Ss: Your experience and insight give you a unique perspective on teen trends and fashions. Do you see the next big trend on the horizon, or has fashion expression become muted, as a reflection of today’s economy?
K3Ub: I believe nothing’s really new now in teen trends and I see that we are going back in time for fashion. I’m seeing more vintage and bright colours. If any new trends catch my eye, I’ll give you a head’s up! Right now, with the economy the way it is, retro styles tend to make a comeback.

Make sure to join K3Ubasilan’s Facebook group, follow K3Ubasilan on Twitter at http://twitter.com/K3Ubasilan, and check out the blog at http://k3ubasilan.blogspot.com

Long Awaited Dexter Season Opening

2009-08-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

by NIW

Got hooked on this TV show called Dexter from Showtime last year and had to watch all the back episodes way back to the very beginning. It has been consistently well written compared to other popular shows out there which are at times more fluff and fodder than engaging. True, the content can be a bit grisly at times, but I watch it at face value, for entertainment and as a study of brilliant writing only. John Lithgow is apparently joining the cast and it will be interesting to see how the season's plot is going to be developed. Jimmy Smits as Miguel Prado last season will be deeply missed for his awesome portrayal of a truly despicable character, kind of like hating Glenn Close as Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction.

Success in Motivation

2009-07-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

by NIW

Task:Get out of bed, brew up that first cuppa joe, have fun, and be productive today! (Simple, right? Well, not exactly!)

Motivation has many definitions, but can be summed up as an internal state or condition (sometimes described as a need, desire, or want) that serves to activate or energize behaviour and give it direction. Look it up on the net and it is categorized as a noun, but ask some highly motivated people what it means and you’d soon confuse it for a verb.
All of us have the need for motivation throughout our lives and if we didn’t, we would simply be surviving or staying alive.If you ask me, that would be a pretty stressful and often boring existence…and for a long time coming (we are living longer these days, after all)! The burning question is why do we find it hard to motivate ourselves at times? To answer that question, let’s ask some more questions. Do you know what you want? If you don’t know what you want, why want to do anything at all…read: lack of focus = motivation killer. I ask myself this all the time and I’ve also asked friends and family about what they want and found out we’re all guilty of it at one point or another, but when we do finally focus on the answer, it’s like we’ve suddenly traded in our rose-coloured glasses for some ultra black shades. We are overcome by all sorts of ambiguous fears. We focus on what we don’t want to happen, wallowing in a self-induced fear fest…I’m going to be in the poor house!, Nobody believes in me anyway, in fact, they are laughing at my ideas!, I’m going to be single and unhappy forever! All sound familiar? Good, now that you remember, we can work on how to stop wasting your focus on fear because fear is not constructive. Fear is a deterrent to you taking action. It stops you in your tracks and sucks you in until it drains all of the motivation out of you. Let’s kick that fear out into the curb and focus on solid goals that will only make you see yourself as a happier, more successful person.

Setting specific solid goals moves you towards a plan of action. For instance, your being afraid of ending up in the poor house should, instead, become an aspiration to be financially stable or successfully wealthy. Your action plan might be to finally pay off all of your debts and create a realistic working budget and sticking to it or you might get a second job to augment your income to make this happen. If your finances are healthy in the black already, but you want to increase your wealth, you may plan to go back to school to get a better paying job or take the steps towards creating a successful business or investment venture for yourself. The point is that your mind takes over when you know what you want, when you have a goal. When you have a specific goal, you can put your gears in motion by thinking about measurable steps, unique to you, on how to achieve it. Whereas fear is not tangible, you can fabricate hundreds of fears for everything but all that does is keep you from getting what you want.

Okay, so now that you’ve given fear the old heave ho and have made specific goals, how come motivation is still elusive? Could it be that you’re focusing on why you don’t already have what you want, or worse, why your neighbour always gets what they want and are in a perpetual state of happiness. This type of thinking usually happens when you focus too much on what you want and not on the good stuff you have already accomplished so far. You lack that appreciation for what you already have and when you stay in this state for a while, you start losing confidence in yourself by poisoning your thoughts with past failures, unfortunate circumstances, and personal weaknesses. We’ve all experienced talking to a friend who is in this state and we probably remember how uncomfortable it made us feel to listen to them complain and make excuses about why they won’t succeed. Personally, those friends left a bad impression on me and made me so un-inspired that I chose to not socialize with them for a while. Now, imagine if you were in this state and made that same bad impression on people. I know I would personally be disappointed in myself for being such a downer.

To reverse this way of thinking, focus on being grateful about all the positive things in your life. Remind yourself about your past and current successes, and all of your strengths and abilities. Your efforts will make you realize how competent and successful you already are. This will boost your confidence and give you the motivation to move forward in the success that you’ve already built thus far. When you believe that you deserve success, your mind and surroundings will make way for it to happen to you and for you. Just remember to give a valuable contribution towards others in this world in your quest to succeed.

You now have a goal and you are poised to make it happen, but what are your steps to get there? Having a sense of direction is to create a daily strategy to achieve your goals. Lack of direction is another motivation killer because without clear cut steps you are apt to procrastinate. To find direction you must select to do the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns. A clear cut plan might look something like this for someone trying to be financially stable: 1)Find out current spending habits., 2)Record and track this information for a period of time., 3)Prepare a realistic personal budget., 4)Obtain and analyze personal credit report, correct errors if necessary., 5)Work with budget to pay off all outstanding debts., 6)Put aside some savings – research best investment options., 7)Grow wealth by getting further training to get better paying job.

Stay on track by paying attention to the activities that will lead you to success. Using the example above, it’s easy to get off track with time wasting activities like surfing the web for get-rich-quick schemes, people just ranting about the same problems in order to find life stories to relate with, and doing never ending research on how to achieve your goal, but not applying any of those methods anyway. Knowing about these motivational killers is not the end all for your own lack of motivation, but this knowledge gives you the power to control how you will activate your goals to achieve success in your life. Choose to control your process positively and put your whole heart and conviction into it. After all, it is ultimately your time and effort that is sacrificed for your own success.