POLE DANCE IS MORE THAN A DANCE IS A SPORT

Shanyn Pollard, Miss Pole Dance Canada 2011

Pole dancing has been around for quite some time. It’s a type of dance that most of the time gets compared to strip clubs. However, people like Shanyn Pollard have been working hard to raise the popularity of this dance as more of a fitness exercise than anything else.

Shanyn was Miss Pole Dance Canada 2011. She started five years ago right in her living room, as there were no pole dance studios near where she lived.

Shanyn performing in her Sass Studio

“I didn’t see the sensual aspect, I saw the athleticism behind it and I was really intrigued and I wanted to try it and just tangle myself all around the pole and do these crazy postures.”

“I started in my living room in Fort Erie, there were no pole dance studios around me. I trained about 4 or 5 months before I purchased a pole. I watched a lot of YouTube videos to teach myself the theory of it because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to injure myself and that I understood what I was going to apply to the pole,” said Shanyn.

After training for some time, Shanyn received the opportunity to work for Circus Studio located on Barton Street and Fruitland Road. She worked there for a while until she was able to open her own studio next door in May 2011.

Shanyn doing one of her favorite rutines

Sass Studio is one of the most popular pole dance fitness studios there are in Ontario but is also one of a few that focuses more on the strength and fitness side of pole dancing rather than the sensual part of it.

She has been an example of those who want people to understand the real meaning of this form of dancing.

“Each year we see more people become more accepting of what we do as opposed to judgemental. I very rarely come across people that would give me that striper look like they did before.”

“In my kids’ school, which is a Catholic school they posted pictures of me in the newspaper when I came back after I had won nationals. All my pictures were in their hallway and that’s a huge accomplishment,” describes Shanyn as she recalls one of her proudest moments.

Shanyn at Nationals in Vancouver

At the Miss Pole Dance Canada competition she not only won the tittle but was also awarded ‘best costume’, ‘best entertainer’, and ‘best pole tricks’. After taking the title home, she was set to go to Budapest, Hungary to represent the country at the Miss World Pole Dance competition.

“It was an experience,” recalls Shanyn.  “I went there by myself and just being there alone took away from the competition for me because I had so much anxiety about just being there. I did alright, however I think I would have done better if I had personal support, but I was there and it was a fantastic experience.”

After being the best Pole Dancer in Canada, her opportunities have expanded. She describes how it has brought more attention to the sport as people really like the title, that now she gets students from all over the province even from Buffalo, New York signing up for her classes.


Watch a short interview of Shanyn and her accomplishments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23sSYxUMYBM&feature=youtu.be

A VICTORY FOR LUCENE CHARLES AND HER FAMILY

Lucene Charles arriving at the federal building on Bay Street

With tears in her face, Lucene Charles the women who was facing deportation on Monday, February 20, was finally granted stayed in Canada after a decision made by the Federal Court.

Lucene and daughter Ajohke

Charles had to purchase two one-way, non-refundable plane tickets from Toronto to St. Vincent for her daughter Ajohke, 5 and herself. The single mother has three Canadian children sons ages 14, 13, and 11. She was reluctant to take them with her as she says; it will be a life of poverty.

Charles accompanied by her four children and her community supporters were in a Toronto federal courtroom on Thursday to ask for a stay of her deportation pending the outcome of a judicial review of her case.

Government immigration and border officials have said Charles was being deported because she entered the country without authorization.

However, in court, her Toronto lawyer, Jackie Swaisland argued that the hearing officer who rejected Charles’s last application erred by not taking into consideration that she’s got a job, is able to provide for her family and has become more involved in her community.

On Friday morning after Charles was leaving the Tropicanada Schwarma and Grill downtown Hamilton she received the best news she had ever received; she was not being deported until at least the leave to have her case reviewed is decided and, if granted, until the review itself is completed by the Federal Court.

Before that, Charles was at the Hamilton Legal Aid Clinic transferring legal guardianship of her three sons temporarily to a Hamilton couple from her church in case she had to follow through with deportation.

Hamilton Archdeacon Rick Jones and Lucene Charles

By 4 p.m., when she arrived at the federal building on Bay Street to get together with her supporters, everyone had already received the good news. She was welcomed with tears of happiness, cheers and hugs.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you to all of you,” said Charles in front of a crowd of about 200 people.

Hamilton Centre MP, David Christopherson was also at the rally and has been supporting Charles in every step of the way.  

Lucene and Hamilton Centre MP, David Christopherson

“When I went to that news conference on Monday I was able to tell them that I was there, representing every person in this community that wants this family to stay here.”

“Today’s decision should reminds us to never loose faith in our country, because our system did come true to the extend that Lucene is here with us now and her family is here with us and everyday that she is here is an absolute win for everyone,” said Christopherson.

For now, Lucene will get back to her normal routine. She will get back to work at St. Joseph’s Healthcare but most important she won’t have to worry about living her sons without a mother.

Watch what happened at the rally on Friday, February 17
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOEaS8swfaQ&feature=youtu.be 

THE ERA OF THE SMART APP’S

Technology is playing a very important role in society. Smartphones, ipads and laptops are becoming a must-have item instead of a trend like it was back ten years ago.

Mohawk Students at the DemoCampHamilton5

People are very into what’s new when it comes to these items. The more applications it has the better it is.

Here in Canada, a group of people decided to get together and create different demos for different applications. After a success within the community they decided to create what now it’s called DemoCamp.

They have been all around Canada showing different applications, from 3D games to being able to control your home from your smartphone. Mohawk students had the chance to attend DemoCampHamilton5 to experience how these apps work and how reliable they are.

Kevin Browne is a technology guru, and was the main organizer of the event.

“DemoCamp is a showcase of the hottest locally made web and mobile apps. Is not just for coders and hackers is for everyone who are interested in seeing some cool technology and demos,” said Browne

The event started with a keynote speaker, Ryan McGreal who is a programmer and consultant here in Hamilton. He explained some of the design principles behind web service APIs and the possible value that can be unlocked when designing your own web application.

Some of the cool demos that were presented were: 

Fluidmedia Presentation

fluidmedia.com, which is a publishing system for communities of parents to share visual stories with friends and family. You can share your own photo albums, and create a photo book and send it as a gift. It’s like the iphoto application on the Mac but the killer piece is the touch part.

An overview of the Synapse System

Synapse is an application that can be used on the iphone. You can turn on or off your home lights from your smartphone; you can open your garage door and even turn on the switch to your coffee machine. Everything is controlled from one place and one touch.

Synapse, an app to control your home from your phone

Avaya web.alive presented a demo of a tool that provided innovative ways to meet with other people around the world. Web.alive connects participants in collaboration sessions featuring 3D visuals and spatial audio. Participants can share PowerPoint presentations or even play games where they are taking full advantage of all materials related to the session.

Even if you are not a 'tech guru', it's very important to learn these things. You don’t have to know how to set up codes; these people are creating these web applications so those who are not as technological advance can take advantage of them.

And if you are one of those who are interested in learning the behind the scenes and all the tech information you can attend and support these events, learn how to create your own web application and most important share them with your community.


Watch some of the demos at DemoCampHamilton5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipDjqyRSaAE&context=C37bd3f3ADOEgsToPDskKTuqFlERiiL3ckfecngNrq

THE ILLUSION OF A PERFECT IMAGE

The obsession with becoming more voluptuous and beautiful is taking some women to the point where they are loosing sight of the risks they could encounter. Knowing that with the help of a needle they can look like a model or an actress makes women feel more secure and increases their self-esteem. But a few of them know a limit, while others are willing to do anything in their hands to have the ‘perfect look’.

The use of implants has been in fashion, if you would like to consider it that way, for many years. Breast and butt implants are the most common around the world. However in recent years breast implants have been a must-have if a woman is considering becoming a star or even thinking about being the next Miss Universe.

In South and Central America, the use of breast implants is very common. There are three different types of prosthesis: silicone, saline water and hydrogel. According to different surgeons around the world silicone is preferred over saline because it has a more natural feeling. Saline water is more liquid and there are more chances of rupture. If this happens, the liquid is absorbed by the body and causes no danger; however there is a visible difference in how they look.

In December 2011, thousands of women worldwide were alerted to faulty silicone breast implants made by the now-defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese, or better known as PIP.  The company had been using illegally obtained low-cost gel, which was never tested on humans. Around 300,000 women have implants worldwide including more than 42,000 in Britain more than 30,000 in France, 9,000 in Australia and 4,000 in Italy.

Ruptured PIP Implant

In Colombia the association of plastic surgeons says about 14,000 pairs of PIP were sold. Many of the implants filled with industrial-grade silicone have spilt open causing a growing demand for their removal.

Dr. Alexis Montoya Fierro is a plastic surgeon in Colombia; he says the problem with the PIP implants is their durability.

“Most of the implants that were made after 2007 don’t have the same regulations and standards from the previous years. They are not certified to last long enough, therefore creating more chances of a rupture. If the rupture happens the patient has to change the implant right away.”

                                                       
According to Dr. Fierro, the amount of patients has increased due to the fact that most women have to go through another surgery to remove the implant. Women are advised, especially in countries like Colombia to seek professional help to avoid the risk of getting infections.

Breast Implant Removal

“It’s very important that the patient consults someone who is a registered surgeon and not just an aesthetician who do not meet the guidelines to perform such an operation.”

He also recommends women follow the procedure properly. Attending an annual check-up appointment with their doctor is very important. It will verify if the prosthesis is in good condition.

Cristal Andreina Patiño lives in Colombia, and had this type of implant. She went through her first surgery in May 2005 because she wanted her breasts to look bigger. But now she regrets making this decision and instead wishes and envies women who are natural.  

“Everything went well, there were no complications, and nothing hurt. Until last year when my husband told me that one of my breasts was lower than the other one. I didn’t pay attention until that night when I noticed when I was laying in bed. It looked like a gel, and I could move it everywhere. I got scared so I consulted the doctor who did the surgery back in 2005 and he told me to go through an ultrasound. And like I thought, the results proved that the implant was ruptured. In September 2011 when the doctor told me that I had to change them, he said I was getting a type of French implant and that the company was closed but I didn’t pay attention to which brand they were. And then just after my surgery the controversy about the PIP implants exploded and that’s when I realized I had this type of implant in my body. I ignored what was happening until December when they started hurting. I went to the same doctor and he told me the best thing to do was to remove them and change the type of prostheses to an American type. So I decided to go through my third and last surgery in January 2012.”

Cristal not only decided to make her breasts bigger, but due to the social pressure of wanting to be ‘perfect’ she also made the decision of having liposuction. In April 2011 she was convinced by a friend to go to a clandestine place to have the surgery because it was cheaper than with a surgeon. And she almost died because of this decision. Her body does not look the same, she is suffering with fibrosis, she gained weight and is now attending sessions of massages to help shape her body.

Cristal was just a victim like thousands of women going through the same problem. Especially in Colombia, women are never satisfied with their natural body because they want to have everything perfect. She is not only overcoming a health and mental breakdown but also had to pay around $3,000 U.S because her insurance didn’t cover the costs.

In most countries, the minimum age for women to go through a breast augmentation is eighteen years of age. However in countries like Colombia it is very common to see a girl who is just turning fifteen years old getting this type of implant. Even though plastic surgeons like Dr. Fierro recommend not going through surgery until a woman has finished her growing stage; most girls decide not to do it because they want to look like everyone else.

Watch how the process of breast augmentation is done

http://video.about.com/womenshealth/Breast-Augmentation.htm

THE DARK SIDE OF THE CYBER WORLD

The Internet is a tool designed to let people communicate easily with each other. It is a space to share thoughts, beliefs and make connections that could potentially give us a job.

But not every person knows how to properly use the Internet. Nowadays, employers are looking at our personal sites to see what we think and what we say in the cyber world.

Sites like Twitter are designed to keep people updated on what is happening around the world. We learn from politics to culture to entertainment. But what about when you decide to share your deepest thoughts without really thinking. Could it have a negative impact in your professional life?

A report done by tbk Creative, a web design and social marketing agency from Toronto, shows that Hamilton and Brantford are the two most vulgar cities on Twitter. The group decided to combine tweets from Canada’s largest cities that included the city’s name and the vulgar term “F&@K, SH*T, and DA#%IT”

Andrew Schiestel is the chief of WOW, projects at tbk Creative and he decided to gather over 1,000,000 tweets with the goal of learning where the practice of vulgarity happens most in Canada on Twitter.

“Not every tweet came from the city or its citizens, but instead were simply tweets that mentioned the city name and the vulgar word," said Andrew.

Hamilton was ranked in second place, with 0.90% following Brampton on first place with 1.41% and ahead of London in third place with 0.70%

In an interview on “AM980’s McArthur in the Morning” Schiestel talked about his report.

The study only showed results on Twitter, but what about sites like Facebook?

“Social networking websites like Facebook are designed for you to authentically share your life, from pictures, to your timelines, to the events you attend. Twitter was originally designed to share what you were doing or thinking about,” said Schiestel

So does this mean sites like Twitter are making people more vulgar?

“I don’t think so, I think social media is making people more themselves. In a professional setting few people swear, it would be inappropriate. In a personal setting things change. The issue is that your professional contacts can also see your most personal thoughts when you publish them publicly through these social media channels, and many times people’s thoughts aren’t pretty. I think it is making people express their most inner thoughts more frequently. Both the good and the ugly.”

Dr. Alex Sévigny from the Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia at McMaster University teaches business how to use social media more effectively.

“I don’t think sites like Twitter are making people more vulgar, I think it’s making people more accountable for what they do. It’s making people responsible for their behaviour online, because everything you say on twitter can be easily view by others.”

Making a decision before you post anything online can really make a difference. Being careful about what you are saying can help protect or damage your reputation for the thousands of people who might look at your profile.

STAYING FIT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS

When winter arrives, one of the first questions that comes to mind is how to stay fit when it’s -20 Degrees outside. It is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise every day.

However for some people winter is an absolutely break from the gym or anything that involves exercising. And this is a mistake many Canadians make when instead they should be preparing themselves for the upcoming summer.

Some people think the only way to exercise is to go to the gym, but there are many things a person can do to stay fit. During the winter months, people make the excuse that because its cold and snowing they rather stay home, but while at home you can use that extra time to make a routine of different exercises that can be performed everyday.

Lisa La Mantia is a high school dance teacher, but even with her tight schedule, she makes sure she dedicates time to herself, to feel and look better; and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is her first priority.

“First, let me start by saying there is no one in the world that hates winter more than me. It’s painful to me, not just uncomfortable, painful. I feel it in my bones. I have Mediterranean blood and after 30 years of Canadian winters I still am not used to it. I do not like to go outside in the winter if I don’t have to, and I know how difficult it is to get out of bed early on dark cold mornings and go to the gym.  For this reason I set up a small space in my basement, with an exercise mat, medicine ball and some hand weights, anywhere from 5 – 10 pounds.   It makes it easier to start my day off this way because I don’t need to leave the house and go out into the cold until after my workout and shower when I am feeling energized and able to tackle the day.”

And so you may be wondering what exercises can we do at home. It’s like going to the gym; you can do the same thing with just a few tools.

“I am traditionally a cardio person. I love to move around a lot and feel the blood pumping, however recently I have come to recognize the importance of strength training to keep my body strong and able to sustain the work I put it through.

For me I have found interval training the best. It combines cardio exercises with strength training in small minute to two-minute intervals.  I really like that idea because I don’t have to count reps or anything. I just do as many controlled exercises as I can do in the time frame. It is great to see your endurance and strength build up over time.”

Most dancers and athletes cannot afford to let the winter months take their toll because exercising is part of their lives. And yes there is the temptation to sit on the couch under a blanket, or stay nestled in bed but maintaining a good exercise and nutrition routine even if you are not a professional dancer or athlete is very important. You are not only developing a stronger body but you are becoming healthier in every single aspect and the result is a happier life.