1. Start studying now!

The earlier you start studying the easier it will be for you to memorize the information you studied throughout the year. This will help you feel more confident when you finally go write your exam.

2. Go to sleep earlier!

Sleep is very important. Harvard university website states “Sleep is as important to get a good night’s sleep after learning something new in order to process and retain the information that has been learned.” Furthermore you will feel more energized and ready to go when you wake up in the morning.

3. Relax!

You might feel overwhelmed, but you need to relax. Take a few hours everyday to relax. Try watching a movie, reading a book, or just napping.

4. Aim to do well!

Positive thinking always helps so even if you don’t do that great, don’t worry just think positively. It will make you feel better and will make the exam easier to study for.

These are just some tips that you can use.  Good luck studying for exams.

“Project X” is an out-of-control comedy that follows a group of buds who set out to throw the most epic birthday party ever. The film documents a high school party that gets completely out of control, shot from the perspective of the digital cameras that the kids have with them.

And then there’s the trailer…:

All you need to do to see this movie– for free– in theaters– with a friend (there are TWO tickets up for grabs!) is follow this handy-dandy promotional flyer. And thank us.

You just need to go to the site at the bottom and use the six-digit promo code made especially for The Vandoo (it’s 389146), and go wild.  WOO!

* The first two activities I recommend you do every 1 to 2 weeks.

The first activity is to free up disk space.

I recommend that you download a software called CCleaner. It can be downloaded from www.piriform.com/ccleaner. Press download and it will open another page. Press Download from filehippo. It will open up another page go to the right side and press Download Latest Version.

Or you can download directly from here.

This software is very useful. Run the cleaner. Use default settings if you are unfamiliar with the meaning of the terms on the left side. This will remove the temporary files and will help free up space.

The second is to clean the registry. The registry is a database on the computer that stores the settings and options on the Windows Operating system.

I also recommend that you use Ccleaner for this step as well. Just press scan for Issues and afterwards Fix selected issues. Make sure to press fix all.

The third activity is to defragment the disk. To do this go into a program called Disk Defragmenter. You can find it by pressing the Start button going into All program and into accessories.

Start the program. Press Analyze disk followed by Fragment Disk. If you need more help follow on screen instructions.

The Fourth activity is to make sure that you keep your computer protected from viruses and spyware. York university has many free amazing programs it offers to students if you do not already have an antivirus program. Such as Symantec Endpoint Protection and Spybot. The programs can be found here. Make sure to press Free Downloads followed by Windows Download to get to the programs.

If you already have an anti-virus or spyware software open it up and make sure that the anti-virus and spyware definitions are up to date. If not make sure to update it to the most recent definition. After updating the definitions make sure to run a complete computer scan.

These steps should help you keep your Windows computer running. If your computer is still running extremely slow after completing these steps you can always do several other things such as increasing the RAM in a computer (make sure to speak with a professional before upgrading the RAM as to determine the right type for your computer); and worst case scenario re-install the Operating system (Make sure all of your files are backed up).

The first step is thinking and being positive, I like to constantly remind myself my set goals for the year– if you haven’t made any It’s that much more encouraging when you have a few goals in mind and that you wish to accomplish. Get excited about your future accomplishments and that incredible feeling that you’re going to get once you’ve achieved your goals. I like to think of it as a fresh start to the year without looking back to the previous one in a negative perspective, but rather to see how far we’ve all come and being proud of what we’ve accomplished up until this point. We shouldn’t dwell on the past and all the things we regretted in 2011, or wished that things could be different—we can only live in the moment and take in all of the things that seem to overwhelm us a day at a time. We can choose to dwell and dread or make the best of it, and I find that going with the second option always makes dreaded time more pleasant!

Second, let’s not forget that we’re already half way through the school year and reading week is not too far away either. But first, make the time at school/work count, give yourself a reason to work your butt off, and just keep reminding yourself why you are here and what you are working towards, even though at stressful times it can be very difficult to stay optimistic. We’re constantly surrounded by challenges and struggles but easy is not going to feed our drive, it’s possible that we need to strive! Let’s make 2012 count and make it the best one yet ladies and gents!

You know what?  You’ll get spam from any site linked into the web.  That’s a given.  It doesn’t look like we get spam judging from the comments that appear on the site; we have blockers for that, and they work.  When I signed up for this job, it was one of the first things I was told about.

But come on– some of these are priceless.

From the holiday break alone, we’ve received message from such stunning individuals as…

…infant car seats canada

…best toddler car seats

…used car seats

…strollers with car seats

and who could forget

…jogging strollers with car seats

It’s astonishing, really.  If these are real people, don’t they get it from the fact that these aren’t being posted?  If it’s a machine, couldn’t they think of cleverer names?  Also, if you’re driving around using a car seat, why do you also need a jogging stroller?  You’d never need both at the same time, so how are you advertising a legitimate deal?  These people aren’t as sneaky as they seem.

Comment poster oak flooring posted the following at exactly 8:00am on January 2nd:

“Tumblr article…

I saw someone writing about this on Tumblr and it linked to…”

They didn’t even finish!  Perhaps they realized that The Vandoo doesn’t own a Tumblr account?  Perhaps they realized that websites have no way to draw constructive criticism or positive assessment…or even an actual comment…from flooring?

One of my favourites comes from a user named Harmony Smiley’s Nose Plugs (seriously) who wrote the following:

“Today, I went to the beachfront with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone! Also, please check out my blog http://www.facebook.com/notes/boating-deals-online/review-of-midland-xtc100vp2-640-x-480-standard-definition-extreme-action-camera-/314729848560317“

Again…seriously.  This spammer is the royal family of segues.  Most of our spammers are identifiable by either their name, their email address, or their tendency to pull these stories out of nowhere and then somehow mention their boating deals blog.  Is the deal available because they’re never able to go back to the beach with their daughter, thus freeing up a boat and a slot at the local marina?  Maybe we’ll never know.  Maybe there are no deals.  It’s hard to stomach the fact that someone with such a lucrative nose plug business would need to resort to this.  Then again, if nose plugs and boating deals go together better than four year olds and hermit crabs, maybe it’s not a bad idea.

Finally, looking back even further, we come full circle with baby accessories.  I’d thought that it couldn’t get worse until I found the names…

Sassy newborn gift set

and

Sassy developmental stim gym play mat

What makes a newborn baby sassy I’ll never know.

Probably the biggest news of the holidays was the death of the supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-il. He ruled Korea from 1994-2011, and was known to have total control over the country, especially in areas of political, social and economic life. The successor of Kim Jong-il will be his son, Kim Jong-un, and North Korea has recently vowed to unite behind their new leader, who promises to resolve food shortages, and bolster its military.

Second to this, in terms of popularity, is of course the Kardashian divorce. Viewers and fans were dragged along this train wreck of a relationship by watching the “love story” unfold on the Kardashian’s reality shows, as well as reading through celebrity blog websites and magazines. Well, lo and behold, another Hollywood divorce was announced, and this one was only 72 days later. Was the marriage a publicity stunt? Who knows, and, more importantly, who cares.

Although Christmas was a joyous time for many, disaster struck Tokyo as a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck under the sea south of Japan. It shook buildings in the capital but, thankfully, caused no apparent damage or tsunami.

In sports, the Canadian World Junior hockey team has been doing very well. Their last win was a 3-2 score over USA, pushing them to a semifinal game on Tuesday, January 3rd. If you have the night off, I suggest watching this one; it’s going to be a good game.

As a Dexter fan, I’m sad to announce that the season finale aired on December 13, 2011. Although I’m against giving out spoilers, I would like to say “Holy $&#%” I have no idea how Dexter’s going to get out of this one, but just know that I’ll be sitting in anticipation until the next season in September.

So that’s about it guys. I hope everyone had a safe and happy holidays, and are ready to finish up this school year; I know I am.

And then there’s the readers as well, who deserve every bit as much praise for enduring us all these months.

The Vandoo Online will be hiding away for exams and the holidays and we’ll be back to a normal schedule when winter semester commences.

See you in January– enjoy your holidays!

Movies
These are the movies you need to watch to prepare yourself for the big day. For some reason, laughing about dysfunctional families helps us appreciate what we have, and look forward to spending time with them.

Home Alone – 1 AND 2.
The Muppets: A Christmas Carol
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Love Actually
Elf
The Santa Clause
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Scrooged
Miracle on 34th Street
A Christmas Story

Drinks
Thank God we’ve got a Starbucks on campus. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s in the arts building in between the Accolades. To help give those warm, fuzzy, holiday feelings, Starbucks has put together some holiday drinks. Here are some of my favourites:

Peppermint Mocha
Gingerbread Latte
Caramel Brulee Latte

Shopping
Of course, we can’t forget everyone’s favourite thing to do in the holidays, and that’s to give. In case you weren’t aware, shopping malls have extended their hours so that everyone can get their shopping done in time. Here are the new extended mall hours, that end on Christmas Eve:

The Eaton Centre
Friday and Saturday: 9:30am-9:30pm 
Sunday: 8:30am-6pm 
Boxing Day: 8am-8pm

Vaughan Mills
Friday and Saturday: 10am-10pm 
Sunday: 9:30am-6pm 
Boxing Day: 8am-8pm

Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Friday and Saturday: 9:30am-9:30pm 
Sunday: 8:30am-6pm 
Boxing Day: 8am-8pm

Fairview Mall
Friday and Saturday: 9:30am-9:30pm 
Sunday: 8:30am-6pm 
Boxing Day: 8am-8pm

Mississauga Square One
Friday and Saturday: 9:30am-9:30pm 
Sunday: 8:30am-6pm 
Boxing Day: 8am-8pm

Sherway Gardens
Friday and Saturday: 9:30am-9:30pm 
Sunday: 8:30am-6pm 
Boxing Day: 8am-8pm

Scarborough Town Centre
Friday and Saturday: 9:30am-9:30pm 
Sunday: 8:30am-6pm 
Boxing Day: 8am-7pm

On top of giving to our families, it’s important to think of those in need and are less fortunate. Here are some of the charities that are going on during the holidays. Remember, every penny counts:

Toys for Tots

World Vision Canada: Cooking for Justice

UNICEF: Infant and young child feeding

Breakfast for Learning

Canadian Red Cross

So, I hope everyone finds what they need here to help get them in the holiday mood. Good luck on all your exams and final assignments, and have a safe and happy holidays!

And so began my frantic journey to get not only a new pair of glasses, but a new prescription; mine have been used for SIX YEARS.  I was a baby then.  The search inevitably took me to the Yorkdale Mall for an optometrist’s appointment and an hour-long fashionable glasses ‘sesh’ (that’s what they call it in ‘the biz’…a ‘sesh’) at Lenscrafters, a place I’ve always paired up with The Pixies’ song Gouge Away.  Clearly I’m over-dramatic.

What ensued was an hour of choosing four inexpensive (re: cheap) glasses to sample/try on/what-have-you with a friend and our later discovery that all four glasses we decided on were the exact same pair.  Oddly, one was on clearance.  Obviously I bought that pair.  They also had a 30% off deal on top of the 50% off clearance price, so there’s that.  All in all, a $350 day.

In the meantime I realized something.  Yorkdale is akin to the inner mind of a lunatic.  Sure, there’s lots of space to move around, but it’s a claustrophobic environment full of things you know you shouldn’t be considering.  It’s madness.  When I went to pick up my lenses I subconsciously began to walk into HMV.  I didn’t realize I was going in until it donned on me that my objective was not to spend a hundred dollars on things I didn’t need…weeks before Christmas.  It’s come to that point– Christmas cruise control.

I don’t hate Christmas, but every year I find myself giving in to it less and less.  I love my family and I always enjoy the tradition of returning home for the usual dinner, presents, extended family fiascoes; I don’t care to hang from the grapevine, I just like to see them.  Sometimes once a year is enough.  But every year it’s harder to find things I need/want for Christmas.  This year I narrowed the field down to money and nothing.  You see, I know my parents don’t want to buy me a Nintendo 3DS.  They don’t think I’m too old for it; they just think that I can do better.

I really can’t.

Last year I asked for a new bed.  Fine.  Done.  Now I have a bed.  (I had a bed before; it was given to me for the first non-family house I moved into out of residence…I remember having a dog when I last slept in the bed before it, and I haven’t had a dog in seven years).  I also asked for a small TV, a tool which has provided me with countless reasons never to leave the bed.  Fine.  Done.

Now what?

Nothing.  That’s what.  TV and bed are essentials.  Everything else I can buy for myself.  I’m not trying to make it any more difficult; I’m just not a child anymore.  I don’t crack open the Sears Wish Book every year nowadays and circle shoddy tents shaped like Simba anymore, I don’t build Mechano, and I never got half the board games I asked for in the first place.  I used to do this every year.  I used to write letters to Santa (H0H 0H0, postal code).  I used to open the same non-chocolate advent calendars every day in anticipation.  I used to give in to shopping like a fiend.

Now I don’t shop.  Now I don’t think about it.  Now I wait for Christmas to pass.

Just as I have to change glasses every six years (yes, I should change them more frequently), maybe I need to shift out of the festive spirit around Christmas.  Maybe, save the emergency essentials, I have all I need.  I’m not a Scrooge– I know that much.  Maybe I just miss living in a snowbelt.  All I can say for sure is that I’m ready for everyone else’s eternal holiday rush to be over.  Let me get back to wearing my glasses out.

———–

Goose Parade!

This is, of course, to usher us into the other clips, as goose parades are apt to do.

———–

Scarf-Tying 101

For all of you indecisive about winter scarf-tying, your selections just expanded.

———–

‘Fields of Gold’ on a Recorder…Shirtless…in the Sky

I guess I’ve seen everything now.

———–

Strong Presentation About Taylor Swift

———–

See You Next Week!