28 Feb 12 What To Do
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 – 08:00
•How to do‘what to do’What To do is a free listing of special events in the city and region. Priority will be given to community groups, non-profit organizations and family activities. It is not intended as a free listing for businesses which have other promotional options within the newspaper. Submissions must include date, time, place and admission charge and should be dropped off, faxed or mailed to the Chronicle-Journal by noon Monday. Our address is 75 S. Cumberland St., Thunder Bay, P7B 1A3 or fax us at (807) 343-9409 c/o what To do.special eventsThunder Bay Community Auditorium, 1 Paul Shaffer Drive, 684-4444. Toll free 1-800-463-8817 or order online tbca.com.• Masters if Illusion, Mon., Feb. 20, 8 p.m.• Ron James, Fri., Feb. 24, 8 p.m.• Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe Tour, March 1, 7:30 p.m.Fort William Historical Park, 473-2344 or 473-2333. Explore life in the Canadian fur trade. Visit: fwhp.ca, or e-mail: .• Voyageur Winter Carnival, Sunday to Monday. Fun for the entire family with tubing, giant snow maze, skating & curling on the Kam, outdoor games & family contests, children’s sliding hill, sugar shack, musicians & magicians. Visit the fur trade characters on the historic site, crafts, Wii games & more.• Artisans Workshops, Feb. & March. Learn how to make weathervanes, wall sconces, applique beadwork, Ojibwa snowshoes, cedar buckets, tin storm lanterns, dream catcher earrings, moccasins, birch bark baskets & quillwork.• March break Day Camps: Junior Camp (ages 7-9) & Senior Camp (ages 10-12); spend five fun-filled days enjoying exciting games, activities, unique crafts & experiences that demonstrate how people dealt with life in March of 1815. Animal tracking, snowshoeing treks, crafts & voyageur games, Native legends among the activities. Camps run weekdays, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Cost is $135 for 5 days.• Bookings available for group reservations, conferences, banquets, education, and community programs.Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, 474-2280 or email: • Tbaytel Masterworks Series: Hometown Diva! Thursday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. Regular appearances with major opera houses and orchestras such as the Toronto Symphony are the hallmark of Thunder Bay native Monica Whicher’s exciting career. General $45; balcony $20; student $15. Info: 474-2284 or visit: tbso.ca. Tickets at the TBCA Box Office.Evergreen a United Neighbourhood Annual Winter Carnival, today, 4-8 p.m. BBQ, popcorn, skating, games, crafts & more. everyone welcome to this free event. Donations gladly accepted. Info: Linda 626-0090.Oliver Road Annual Winter Carnival, Friday-Sunday. Skate night, spaghetti supper (Sat., 4-5 p.m. for take out, $5; sit down, 5-6:30 p.m. $6), fun Monte-Carlo Night (Sat., 7 p.m. – $5 admission), contests, penny auction (Sunday only), Family Day. Info: 345-9531.Teachings & Empowerments, hosted by the Potala Meditation Centre, Friday-Sunday at Hospice Northwest, St. Joseph’s Heritage, 63 Carrie St. Lam Rim Teachings, Friday, 7 p.m. Lam Rim refers to the Buddha’s teachings of spiritual progression that lead us to liberation from suffering & attainment of enlightenment. $10 members/$15 nonmembers; Medicine Buddha Initiation, Saturday, 2 p.m. Medicine Buddha initiation & practice empowers participants to activate their healing energies to heal themselves & others. $25 members/$35 nonmembers; White Mahakala Initiation, Sunday, 2 p.m. White Mahakala is a wrathful aspect of Buddha of Compassion and a Dharma Protector. White Mahakala practice overcomes spiritual & material poverty. $25 members/$35 nonmembers. Bring a cushion. Visit: potala.ca.Nordic Ski Day: Women on Skis, Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Lappe Nordic Ski Centre. a day of outdoor fun and fitness: ski technique and waxing lessons, snowshoeing, healthy & hearty lunch, hot sauna and great draw prizes. no previous experience necessary. All women ages 13 & up are welcome. Fees: $45 full day ($30 half day – includes lunch); $5 discount for Lappe Nordic Ski Club members. Ski rentals $10/set, babysitting $25 for one child, additional children $15 each. Registration forms & more information at lappenordic.ca or call Susanna at 285-0948.Giant Digital Photography Workshops, at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park’s visitor centre:• You and Your Digital Camera – Buttons and Knobs, Saturday, 12-4 p.m.• Winter Photography, March 17, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.* Learn the features of operating your camera as well as tips & techniques for outdoor winter photography. Instruction by professional photographer Barry Wojciechowski on topics including camera controls, aperture, shutter speed and the basics of good photo composition. for more information, pricing and advance online registration visit: superiorvisits.com or call 344-9208 (1-866-688-9990).14th Annual Scrabble Fundraising Tournament, Sat., Feb. 25 at Intercity Promotion Court, hosted by the Thunder Bay Literacy Group. You don’t have to be an expert player to win. Many prize categories & draws. one lucky fundraiser will win a trip for two from Porter Airlines. Visit the website at tblg.org to enter online or call 475-7211. Regular play at 9:30 a.m. & 2 p.m. or represent your business in the Corporate Challenge at 12:30 p.m. help support literacy in your community.Slightly Off Broadway Proudly Presents: Thunder Bay’s original triple-threat studio, where students can study music, dance & drama all under one roof. the Musical Theatre Revue event gives the students the opportunity to work on a professional level show where they can not only showcase their individual talents but also work on group numbers. There’s no Biz like Show Biz, will be presented Sat., Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m. & Sun., Feb. 26, 2 p.m. at the Bora Laskin Auditorium – L.U. enjoy a romp through the world of musicals, including songs from the classic shows like the Secret Garden, the Wizard of Oz and my Fair Lady to numbers from new musicals like Hairspray and Mama Mia. this show appeals to all audiences, including children. Net proceeds donated to the Canadian Red Cross, Thunder Bay Branch. Tickets available at the Canadian Red Cross, the Bean Fiend, Calico Coffee House, Colosimo’s Music Store, Slightly Off Broadway Studio and all cast members. Info: 622-4500.Nolalu Market, every Friday, 4-7 p.m. at the Nolalu Community Centre parking lot, Hwy 588 (bottom of the hill in downtown Nolalu). Pies, plants, photos, willow baskets, crafts, collectibles & more. Stop by for a chat, check out what is happening in Nolalu and bring home a loaf of bread, a pie, a veggie plant or an artistic photograph of beautiful Northern lights country and books about Nolalu. Info: nolalu.ca.Thunder Bay Country Market, Saturdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the CLE Dove Building. Meet with two storeys full of local farmers, food vendors, crafters & more. ‘We make it, bake it, grow it.’ Visit: wwwthunderbaycountrymarket.com.Hillcrest Marketplace, Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Thunder Bay Centre of Change (formerly Hillcrest HIgh School). Produce, baking, jewelry, home businesses & more. Free admission.
artMeet & Greet, today, 5-7 p.m. at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. See the visual art created in Artists in the 5th. Support Arts Education in Thunder Bay; Thursday is Arts Fiesta at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, 9:45-11:30 a.m. Celebrate the performance and visual arts work of Artist in the 5th. $5 at the door; Saturday at Mary J.L. Black Library – create a found Object Character All about me – Marcel the Shell by Jenny Stone. the story of a mixed media shell living in our human world. make you own character and create a story with Rachel Vandenssen. for ages 6-12. Preregister. Free.2nd Annual Northern Fibers Retreat, Grand Marais, MN, today to Monday at North Folk School and the Grand Marais Art Colony. Over 25 inspiring courses including weaving, bead embroidery, origami, felting & more. call 218-387-2737 or 218-387-2737 for more information and a complete course listing and event program or visit: northhouse.org or grandmaraisartcolony.org.call for Entries – the Rain Barrel Art Project. EcoSuperior is bringing back the popular Rain Barrel Art Project. Paint an original design on a rain barrel to be a part of the silent auction fund raiser at the CLE Home & Garden Show. EcoSuperior provides the rain barrel – you provide the creativity. Open to anyone – artists, school classes, community groups, or individuals. Cash prize for top-selling rain barrel. All proceeds to to support EcoSuperior’s demonstration house. call 624-2140 or look for the Rain Barrel Art Project at ecosuperior.org. Deadline is Friday.Art by Marilyn Morton. Landscapes, still lifes, abstracts & collages in oil, watercolour & ink. There are local scenes and scenes from distant places. Most are framed and ready to hang. Come by and enjoy. by appointment. call 1-807-577-7347.Biljana’s Art Gallery, 454 Ryerson Crescent. Come visit Biljana at her studio and see original watercolour paintings, reproductions, note cards, calendars and more. call 577-7077 for your personal appointment.Chenier Fine Arts, the purple gallery at 8 S. Court St., located in the Waterfront District. Info: Debra 346-0409. Visit: chenierfinearts.ca. Open Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Open by appointment. Free admission.• enjoy viewing the Chenier Window Galerie displaying new stone bowls by local Jason Nelson; and new Castonguay oversize oil and pastel paintings.• New painter, D. Couturier – organic multi media abstracts.• New printmaker, Petru Voichescu – miniature abstracts, new mixed media abstracts on paper by Sylvie Cloutier.• New – Shane Norrie ceramics that appeared in the Globe and Mail feature article, the top 10 Fall Design Trends. also displayed are paintings that are shown in Norrie’s new book, Shane Norrie – Pre 2012.• New paintings by a. Zerbe – city night life, and G. Castonguay – surreal landscapes.definitely Superior Art Gallery, lower level of former Eatons Bldg., 250 Park Ave., 344-3814. Visit: definitelysuperior.com. Tues.-Sat., 12-6 p.m. Admission by donation.• Urban Infill-Art in the Core: 15 projects/350+artists at 15 downtown North Core venues. Until April 30. Visit: definitelysuperior.com for updates on individual projects.• Gallery 1: the Circulation of Fluids – Catherine Bechard & Sabin Hudon-Montreal-Interactive Sound Installation-International.• Gallery 2: along the Way – Julie Cosgrove-Regional-Painting/Multi-media.• Gallery 3: Bull’s Eye, a Painter on the Watch – Marc Seguin – Award winning film documentary-Montreal-International.• All exhibitions run until March 10.Lake Superior Art Gallery and Studio, 605 E. Victoria Ave. in Victoriaville Centre. Open 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday. call 622-7573 or visit: LakeSuperiorArtGallery.com.• Classical Methods of Drawing and Oil Painting with John Ferris, Saturdays, 1 p.m. call to register.Local Colour Art Gallery, 33 S. Cumberland St. Mon.-Fri, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat., 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Free admission. Info: localcolourartgallery.ca or call 768-3232.• take in the ‘Local Colour’ of over 75 local & regional artists displaying a wide variety of the diverse work available here in our region.• Visit the Gallery today and observe artist Mac Squires at work creating his drawings on birch bark.• Central Canada Outdoor Show, Feb. 24-26.the Mystique of the North Gallery, features the art work of Evelyn Konrad. Visit the gallery to access a variety of original watercolour paintings, as well as prints and note cards. Visit: konradwatercolours.com. Visit the gallery anytime by appointment. call 577-2155 or e-mail: Painted Turtle Art Studio Gallery, 33 S. Cumberland St. Open 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays & 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Visit: paintedturtleart.com or call 344-4636 for more information.• Stop by the Studio to see a small exhibition of five different bookbinding styles by Laurie Wright of BookWrights Bindery, until March 19.• Artists in Residence: Kathy & Kirsti Toivonen. this mother & daughter team express their creative personalities in diverse yet similar themes & styles. Stop by to see Kathy at work, Mondays, 1:30-3:30 p.m. and Kirsti, Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.• Classes & Workshops: Water colour with Biljana Baker, Feb. 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Raw & compressed charcoal drawing workshop, 6-8 p.m.; March 7 with Kathy Toivonen; March break ‘Pirate School’ March 13-15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Youth Art Club, March 1-April 5; Acrylic painting with Eugene Vandal, March 14-April 4, 6:30-9:30 p.m.the Pictograph Gallery, downstairs in the Voyageur Mall in Atikokan, Tues.,-Sat., 12-3 p.m.• E nat’e me – Acrylic on Canvas, Pam Cain.Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Confederation College campus. Info: 577-6427 or visit the website at tbag.ca. Admission: adults $3, seniors & students $1.50, gallery members & children under 12 years are free. Free admission Wed., sponsored by the John Andrews Foundation. Open Tues.-Thurs., 12-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., 12-5 p.m.• Sense of Place, organized and circulated by the Windsor Printmaker’s Forum, until Feb. 26.• Winter Wilderness Art Auction Eh?, March 2. Tickets on sale now. $70 gallery members; $85 non-members.• Brian Holden: Wilderness, until March 4.• Mood Valleys, Walter Scott, until March 4.Window Light Photo Gallery, 581 Boundary Drive, west off Hwy. 61, Saturdays & Mondays only, or by appointment. a display of photography portraying the beauty of Northern Ontario & Lake Superior. Info: Susan 628-2772 or visit: susandykstra.com.
what To do lineup:
• Wednesdays — special events and art
• Thursdays — theatre, film & museums
• Fridays — music, dance & games
18 Feb 12 18th Birthday Party Invitation Blues
Girls are usually the ones who treat their 18th birthday as a big deal because it is considered to be the time when they will officially transform from a baby to a lady. Girls would usually throw a big birthday party for their 18th birthday, complete with a mini-entourage (18 roses, 18 candles, etc.).
One important aspect to be considered in planning a debut is the invitation. a debut’s invitation will greatly depend on the theme or motif of the party.
Sending 18th party invitations through e-mail is perhaps the least preferred method of debutantes because of the lack of impact and attractiveness. most people expect a lot more than just an e-mailed birthday invitation from debutantes. a debut is considered to be a very big event or milestone in a girl’s life that’s why most people would surely raise their eyebrows if they receive an invitation for a formal debut through a simple and casual e-mail.
The most preferred way to send 18th birthday invitations is through the traditional and classic snail mail. aside from leaving a better impression to the recipients in comparison with electronic mails, snail mail is also a great way for the debutante to show off her beautiful and unique birthday party invitation. For sure, the invitations for a debut is very beautiful and full of art.
Sending invitations through snail mail may be a bit time consuming, but the effect and impact that it will leave on the guests will surely be worth the time and effort.
The most traditional invitation sent through snail mail is composed of personalized invitation cards or pages with pictures of the debutante and girly designs such as butterflies, flowers, hearts, stars, etc.
You can actually make your very own invitation at home; all you need is a computer or laptop, a software or program that allows you to make your own invitation (complete with pictures, banners, templates, etc), a high-quality printer that prints well even in color, and an access to a photocopying machine.
The most popular 18th birthday invitation are hand-made invitations. the designs range from normal paper and ink invitations up to 3D-like invitations that can even have pop-up features. aside from being very unique and unforgettable, hand-made invitations can also make you save a lot of money since you won’t really have to do a lot of printing and reproducing.
30 Jan 12 GSA Moving USA.gov, Data.gov To Public Cloud
The General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded CGI Group a $20.76 million contract to move some of its websites, including USA.gov and Data.gov, to a public cloud infrastructure.
the agency’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies is overseeing the five-year contract, which was awarded as part of the GSA’s Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offerings, introduced last July to enable agencies to choose from a menu of cloud computing services via the GSA’s Apps.gov website. CGI is one of a handful of initial contractors to be certified to offer the services.
Under the contract, CGI will host and manage a public cloud for Data.gov, the government’s open-data repository, and USA.gov, the feds’ flagship website that has two million unique visitors each month, according to the GSA.
Specifically, CGI will provide a public cloud infrastructure hosting the sites, as well as provide end-to-end services to transition, operate, maintain, enhance, and secure the cloud environment.
The GSA has been one of the federal government’s early adopters of cloud computing e-mail to the cloud as part of an overall and ongoing move to hosted and shared services to cut costs and create operational efficiencies, among other benefits.
[Cloud computing could play a key role in the Energy Department's Magellan project. Read more at Federal Researchers Push Limits Of Cloud Computing.]
Other agencies also have moved public websites to the cloud, including the Department of Treasury, which a year ago migrated a revamped agency website and four other existing sites to Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).
Moving sites to the cloud and out of federal data centers also could help mitigate performance problems federal websites have suffered recently, problems usually associated with in-house systems.
One prime example came in October, when a relaunch of the USAJobs.gov website–a project that enhanced and moved a previously hosted site back into a federal data center–caused problems that lasted for weeks, making the site and many of its services inaccessible.
A Congressional committee convened to discuss the incident and historical problems managing IT projects pointed fingers at the Office of Personnel and Management, which oversees the site.
The site of the federal CIO Council also has suffered two outages recently, one in November and one earlier this month. the second outage was attributed to site maintenance that is being done to prevent such occurrences in the future.
How 10 federal agencies are tapping the power of cloud computing–without compromising security. Also in the new, all-digital InformationWeek Government supplement: To judge the success of the OMB’s IT reform efforts, we need concrete numbers on cost savings and returns. Download our Cloud in Action issue of InformationWeek Government now. (Free registration required.)
22 Jan 12 Top 10 scams of 2012
The Better Business Bureau has released its list of the top 10 scams of 2012, warning scammers are capitalizing by using false pretences to con consumers.
The list is developed jointly by the BBB, Consumer Protection B.C., and the B.C. Crime Prevention Association.
1. Brand spoofing
Brand spoofing, or phishing, is a general term for e-mail, text messages designed to look like they come from well-known and trusted businesses, financial institutions and government agencies to collect personal and financial information.
If the recipient follows the link provided and connects with the fraudulent website, any information entered into the data fields could be recorded, collected and used for fraudulent purposes.
TIP: If you receive these messages, delete them and do not click on any links. Hang up on callers you aren’t familiar with. never give credit information online or over the phone unless you are sure of the identity of the caller.
2. Advance fee loans
Consumers have reported losing substantial sums of money responding to advertisements that guarantee loans, often online. Consumers complete credit applications and are told the loan has been approved and the promised funds will be received once a fee is paid. After payment, the loan is never received as promised.
TIP: it is illegal for a company to charge a fee in advance to obtain a loan, even if that fee is disguised as the first or last month’s payment.
3. Gold-buying schemesCBC
A strained economy and high demand for gold has resulted in many consumers selling and trading gold and jewellery, and receiving unfair returns in exchange.
TIP: before cashing in on the gold rush, do your research. When choosing an appraiser, find someone locally you know and trust. Get multiple appraisals and compare prices before selling.
4. Financial elder abuse
Financial elder abuse occurs when seniors’ pocketbooks are exploited by scammers who take advantage of a person’s vulnerabilities associated with age.
Common financial elder abuse frauds include tricking seniors into giving out private banking information; encouraging unnecessary home repair work, telemarketing and mail fraud..
TIP: Most elder abuse happens to a senior by someone they know, such as a family member, friend or caregiver. Signs a senior is being financially abused include missing belongings, unusual activity in bank accounts, suspicious stories, bounced cheques and numerous unpaid bills.
5. Power-saving claims
The switch to smart meters in B.C. fostered a rise in false claims and deceptive ads by some scammers selling energy conservation devices.
Consumers reported purchasing a number of power saving devices they claim did not work and that did not meet electrical safety standards.
TIP: Protect yourself from deceptive advertising by doing your research before making a purchase. always check out a company’s BBB Business Review first. If it sounds too good to be true, remember that it probably is.
6. Door-to-door salesCBC
Each year, a variety of unscrupulous door-to-door salespeople use high-pressure sales tactics to frighten people into purchasing expensive, substandard, often unneeded products and services.
Be wary of overly aggressive sales people selling everything from alarm systems to vacuums and air purifiers, as well as roofing, paving, painting, heating, repair and landscaping services.
TIP: Don’t give in to high pressure sales tactics. If you feel threatened by an aggressive salesperson, ask them to leave your property. If they refuse, call the police. before making any purchase, take the time to do your due diligence, getting the name and location of the company and ensuring all details and verbal promises are included in a contract.
7. Virus-fixing scheme
In the case of the alleged caller from Microsoft, the caller claims to be phoning about a serious problem with the person’s computer that will make it unusable. The computer owner is directed to a website and told to download a program, which is actually damaging malware and spyware.
TIP: Treat all unsolicited phone calls with skepticism. Check with the organization directly that the caller is claiming to be from, using the contact numbers found on their website. Do not provide any personal information to avoid identity theft. never provide credit or debit card information for payment.
8. Fraudulent locksmiths
Consumers reported “local locksmiths” advertising online using a local telephone number and local address, but when contacted, consumers are connected to a call centre in another city.
Consumers who have hired these companies allege they have been overcharged for products and services, received bad advice or poor workmanship, or have had difficulty contacting the business to correct problems.
TIP: Don’t just pick the first “local” company you find online. Confirm the company address and ask for the legal name of the business. When the locksmith arrives, ask for identification, a business card and their license. make sure they are insured so you know costs will be covered should any damage be done to your personal property.
9. Penny auctions
Online ads, often designed to look like news reports, claim you can get great deals on iPads and other electronics with online penny auctions.
CBC
Generally, users must set up an account and purchase bids with a credit or debit card; each individual bid may cost less than a dollar and are often sold in bundles of 100 or more.
Every item has a countdown clock and as people bid, the cost of the item goes up incrementally and more time is added to the clock. even if you don’t win the item, you still have to pay for the bids you placed, which can add up over time.
TIP: Pay close attention to details on signup and annual fees, minimum bidding requirements, maximum prize amounts and how to get a refund. before bidding on an item, research how much it costs elsewhere and keep track of how much you’re spending on bids overall to see if you really are getting a good deal.
10. Anti-social network
Users are often subject to targeted advertising and direct messages through social networking, including fraudulent work-at-home job offers and deceptive “free” trials. “Clickjacking” on Facebook convinces users to unknowingly post malicious links on their status updates.
TIP: your computer should always have the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a secure firewall. use the most up-to-date versions of your web browser to offer further protection. be wary of messages from friends and especially strangers that direct you to another website via a hyperlink.
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