She is the very first recipient of the award in the association’s history.

As she stood in front of a crowd of friends, family, and media, she talked a bit about some of the things she has done, but spent most of the time having fun being the centre of attention and making a few jokes to lighten the mood.

The manager of the Pemmican Lodge, Roger Hacior, said she is fully of “ideas and vitality”, as he handed her the award.

As she held up the award, which looked like a glass star on a pedestal, she almost appeared to tear up a little and she looked at the crowd.

“I really appreciate the fact you think I’m worthy of it all,” said Ewing as she accepted the award from the ASCHA, and a certificate from the City of Lethbridge, which was presented by Mayor Bob Tarleck.

This is not the first award she’s won for her volunteering efforts. She was awarded by the City of Lethbridge in 2001, and the Government of Canada during the international Year of Volunteers.

Many would think that a woman of her age should be relaxing, drinking tea, and either napping or knitting. Ewing prefers to spend her time volunteering, helping in the kitchen, playing Bingo, and she loves playing horseshoes.

She volunteers once a month at a local elementary school, leads a seniors exercise class twice a week, and is an avid 10-pin bowler.

“I’m keeping busy, and those dolls for Africa keep me busy,” said Ewing. “I’ve done almost 300 now in the two years (since) I started doing the dolls.”
She has lived a full life, living in different places, having a family, taking care of a farm, and having jobs she enjoyed. She speaks very highly of everything she’s been able to experience.

“I was born in Vulcan,” said Ewing. “I did all my schooling in High River, right to Grade 12, after that I was a telephone operator.”

She has a very large family that she is incredibly proud of. She has 4 children, 19 grandchildren, and 21 great grand children.

“I got married a couple of times,” Ewing said, “ I had all these kids, all these grandkids.”

For work, she was a mom, but she was also a receptionist for a few years, then and her family ran a farm for 25 years.

“I worked in the Galt Museum, I was a receptionist there, when it was the hospital,” she said. “I was there a couple of years, and I worked in another place as a receptionist.”

“Then I got married and went to the farm at Carmangay,” she said. “I was there 25 years, I guess, it was a mixed farm, we had lots of pigs, lots of cattle, and grain.”

She then moved into a house in Lethbridge because her husband became ill. She then decided to move into the Pemican Lodge, which she loves.

“We lived in a condo and sold that,” she said. “They were just building this, and I thought this is kind of a nice place, so I think I’ll move here.”

“I really like living in a seniors place like this because it’s very nice. They treat you so well here, and the meals are excellent, I think it’s a wonderful place for seniors.”

Ewing can’t say enough good things about Alberta, and especially about Lethbridge.

“It’s the best place in the world to live, so is Alberta,” she said. “If you stay here long enough, (and) if you ever go away, you will come back.”

She says with enthusiasm that she will continue doing all these different things for years to come.

Originally posted 2009-05-06 23:05:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

We called some local grocery stores in Lethbridge to find out if they carry the King Nut brand of peanut butter, and they do not, and they suspect it’s only sold in the United States, so that should ease some worried minds.

Many of us have heard of Salmonella, but may not know exactly what it is, or what to do if you discover it’s made you sick.

“Salmonella is a bacteria, an infection of the intestines,” explains Andrea Hohne, Public Health Inspector for Chinook Health. “[You can get Salmonella] by eating undercooked meat and poultry, drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk, [or] contaminated food or water.”

Salmonella poisoning can present many symptoms that are similar to a stomach flu, and Hohne strongly recommends anyone with these symptoms immediately see their doctor to find out the exact cause.

“In general, [the symptoms include] vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, cramps, and fever,” says Hohne. “[symptoms can show] 6 to 72 hours after being infected.”

One website, Healthsquare.com recommends anyone recovering from Salmonella poisoning “rest in bed at least 3 days after your symptoms go away”, “use a heating pad or hot water bottle to help relieve stomach cramps,” and “drink plenty of liquids that have a lot of minerals and vitamins in them until the diarrhea stops”, as this will replenish the nutrition your body expelled along with the bad bacteria.

This brings up the issue of food poisoning, as well as how to tell if you’ve become a victim, and how to avoid becoming sick in the first place.

“Cook meat or poultry to the correct internal temperature, 74 degrees celcius, [and] check with a thermometer,” says Hohne, adding that people should always wash their hands before eating to prevent any bacteria from entering your body.

If you happen to suffer from food poisoning, emedicinehealth.com suggests watching out for additional symptoms, including, “fever and chills, bloody stools, dehydration.

The same website also shares some interesting stats, such as the “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the United States, food poisoning causes about 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and up to 5,000 deaths each year.”

Another statistic explains that “more than 250 known diseases can be transmitted through food. The CDC estimates unknown or undiscovered agents cause 81% of all food-borne illnesses and related hospitalizations. Many cases of food poisoning are not reported because people suffer mild symptoms and recover quickly.”

Food poisoning can be easily avoided by simply making sure your food is completely cooked, and that you properly wash your hands before you sit down to eat or put your fingers in your mouth. It’s just that simple, and it takes mere seconds to prevent.

Originally posted 2009-01-17 20:36:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

My first story of the semester will be on the difference between Adobe Creative Suite CS3 and CS4, and why the college upgraded so quickly. The second story is on what people can expect from Windows 7 (from the info I’ve been able to find).

My first column of the semester will likely be how people need to be more careful on who and what websites they trust online, particularly with direct messages they recieve on Twitter and Facebook.

You can look forward to those posts as of Jan 15.

Originally posted 2009-01-06 20:45:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

In Canada, it would seem online rental services are not damaging local video stores; likely because several companies have created their own internet-based rental systems in recognition of the demand.

“We’re not noticing that big of decrease in customers. It’s not affecting business,” said Matthew Miller, an associate at Movie Gallery.

In the United States, though, there are more competitors in the online TV and movie rental business, and traditional rental companies are feeling the effect. So much so that some journalists are predicting the fall of rental-giant Blockbuster.

“For Blockbuster, there is currently no prospect for growth. Not only is it incapable of breaking the Netflix shell, the brick-and-mortar stores are failing, and there is little chance it will be able to capitalize on the future of movie rentals—downloading,” says Don Reisinger of CNET’s News.com.

Some people don’t seem as willing to stop renting movies the old fashioned way, but online rentals are becoming more popular with those who have the hardware to take advantage of them.

“Downloading movies today requires a certain degree of tech savvy-ness and the appropriate hardware in your house–which may or may not be connected to your television set. So, there’s something to be said for going down to the store for an impulse rental,” said Gordon Haff, a writer for News.com

With Netflix, there are no late fees. Customers pay a flat monthly fee, and movies are mailed to them one at a time, and mailed back when customers are done with them. Zip.ca is the Canadian alternative, and works much the same way. Each service allows consumers to rent more than one DVD at a time, at an increased price.

Netflix recently introduced streaming TV shows and movies to your computer or TV, given you have a high-speed connection and capable equipment. Zip.ca doesn’t seem to offer this service yet.

Originally posted 2008-11-21 17:03:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Kevin Mertz, service technician at Saturn of Lethbridge

When you go to buy a car, some of the things you want to know are how good the gas mileage is with the cost of fuel, how well it handles, and the safety features included if you ever get into an accident.

All of those features are controlled by technology, and nowadays, mechanics need to be as savvy with computers as they are under the hood.

“You also have to know how the electronics work together with the mechanical parts. You have to find out if it’s an electronic problem before you can determine if it’s a mechanical fault,” says Kurtis Ruston, a Toyota certified master hybrid technician.

Many of the systems built into vehicles have made driving much safer and more reliable, and according to one mechanic, we’re safer on the roads because of it.

“There’s no question that electronics have vastly improved the safety of cars. With the monitoring of seatbelt systems, with the advent of crash sensors, the car can automatically sent a signal to the authorities to send help. The pros outweigh the cons, “ says Murray Charles, service manager at Saturn of Lethbridge.

Mechanics are doing just as much hands-on work as ever, but now with the aide of computers, they can find out what the exact problem is faster and more reliably.

“They’re dealing with as much hands-on as they ever did, but [now] with electronic assistance. All of the work we do [is] connected to [scanning tools]. [This makes diagnosis] more accurate. The better we can diagnose the car, the more effective we can repair the cars,” says Charles.

A great deal of the technology built into vehicles these days is required by law, and it makes driving safer.

“All vehicles these days are required to have electronics and safety devices on board, for passenger safety of course. [There are] technologies involved there, [so] there typically can be high costs involved,” said Charles.

According to Ruston, finding a mechanic isn’t hard, but it seems the bigger issue is keeping mechanics, since those without passion for the job move on quickly.

“The government is helping people out with grants and tax breaks on the tools you buy, where when I was apprenticing, we didn’t have any of that. They’re slowly catching up, helping you get into this trade,” said Ruston.

Like in any other trade or job, finding people isn’t hard, but finding people with a passion for the work and with the skills necessary is difficult.

“It’s not hard to get people to work in the trade, it’s hard to find quality people,” stated Ruston.

Another benefit of computerized components is that they don’t wear out nearly as fast as their mechanical counterparts, making the car last longer.

“You get a lot more life out a car then you would 15-20 years ago because there’s a lot less maintenance costs, stuff doesn’t wear out now like it did 15 years go.”

Originally posted 2008-10-31 04:13:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The most popular smart phone is Apple’s iPhone, originally released in 2006, and recently upgraded last June. Although expensive, at $199, the main issue consumers have is the price of the data plans that must be purchased to surf the net, or download files.

Rogers was the first to introduce the iPhone to Canada, but in the first month of its release, consumers made it clear that the data plans weren’t affordable, and the pressure forced Rogers to reduce its prices. To find out more, visit http://tinyurl.com/cbcrogers or http://tinyurl.com/canadaiphone.

Another issue with the iPhone is that Rogers forces buyers into a three-year contract in order to get one, though that is becoming more common with most carriers, according to many students.
Few students using iPhones, Blackberrys or Windows Mobile phones due to the cost, but they’re out there, and consumers seem to like them.

“When people ask to see my iPhone, I actually warn them that if they are not willing to spend the money, they should not look at it. They’re just so easy to use,” said Dwayne Harapnuik, manager of educational technology at the college.

Many college employees are using Blackberrys and iPhones to communicate, store their contacts information and email.

“The Blackberry is the smart phone of choice currently,” said Harapnuik. “With the release of the iPhone, we are starting to see more requests for it.”

The biggest benefit of smart phones is that they bundle the features of many devices into just one. Instead of carrying an mp3 player for music, a laptop for the web, and a PDA for GPS, smart phones consolidate it all into one device.

Another benefit to smart phones is that they can use Wi-Fi (public wireless internet access) networks, which means customers can avoid paying steep data charges to a cell phone provider, according to Harapnuik.

There are many options for consumers who want a smart phone, The iPhone is just one choice. Others are the Blackberry Bold, the Samsung Instinct, and the just-released T-Mobile G1, which has the Google phone operating system.

Before you get a smart phone, do some research, find out which phone is best for you. There’s no point paying for a phone with features you’ll never use.

To see this story or my column, visit www.lethbridgecollege.ab.ca/endeavour/ or www.thedigitaldistraction.com.

Originally posted 2008-10-09 17:27:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

“In Canada, every seven minutes, a person will have a heart attack. 17,000 people die each year [from heart attacks],” says Valerie Fraser, who works with the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Medicine Hat. “We really push the importance of looking after our hearts.”

The best ways to take care of our hearts are pretty obvious, including not smoking, if you do drink, do so in moderation, limiting stress, and of course, exercise. These are things we’re all aware of, but many people don’t follow these simple guidelines that can help them live longer, and we need to.

“High on the list is smoking. Please don’t smoke; being inactive, high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” says Fraser. “Age, gender, family history are [also] general risk factors.”

Another risk factor to our general health and our hearts is stress, something we all deal with, and if we don’t take steps to handle it, it can have harmful effects on our bodies and our hearts.

“We all have stress in our lives, we need to learn to manage it,” says Fraser.

If you feel you are at risk for heart disease or heart attack, it’s very important that you go and see your doctor, and make him or her fully aware of your family history, so you can work to prevent a heart attack.

People need to take care of their bodies, and their hearts. If we don’t, we might not live as long of a life as we might like.

“You only get one body. You get one chance to take care of it,” says Fraser.

The Heart and Stroke Foundations also wants to remind students and those in Alberta communities, including Lethbridge, to volunteer their time to spread the word of the importance of taking care of our hearts and to raise money for the foundation.

“If students are interested in helping with the fundraiser, contact the Lethbridge [Heart and Stroke Foundation] office,” says Louise.

Originally posted 2009-02-01 03:27:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Limited time has forced a lot of us to be very selective of the TV shows we do watch. The solution seems to be catching up on missed episodes via websites such as YouTube, and by other ways using the internet, allowing us to choose when we watch, instead of TV schedules dictating that for us.

That’s not to say TV will be going away anytime soon. The internet simply gives people additional options in terms of how they watch programming. When viewers have the opportunity to watch good ‘ol TV, they do.

“My first resource is TV. If I can’t, I watch it online. I don’t download, I watch it streaming,” says Jason Bass, a student at Lethbridge College.

Jason brings up a very good point. People are doing what they can to watch content legally. Some websites that stream programming to viewers are more legitimate than others, but viewers who want to watch U.S. programming, but can’t, are doing what they can to watch the content without getting themselves in legal hot water.

Many students are hoping that the major networks in the United States will soon start allowing residents in Canada the ability to watch and download their shows, and the idea of having control over how they watch that content and when is a very powerful motivator.

“If I could, I would watch it online or download it at my convenience,” says a very enthusiastic Chelsi Brisebois, a General Studies student at Lethbridge College.

TV stations in the U.S. and Canada are recognizing the changing television landscape and are offering their content online after their shows originally air for people to watch at their convenience, albeit with a 30-second ad before the show starts. All major Canadian broadcasters are included in this movement.

Many issues plague the possibility of watching U.S.-based content, including copyright issues, copy protection, and legal roadblocks, Many websites, including NBC and CBS, which are based in the United States, don’t stream or allow access to downloads of their programming across the border, forcing many to get that same content by other means.

An increasing number of TV shows and movies are available through alternative services, such as the iTunes Store, offered by Apple Inc, which allows those who have chosen to download content alternative legal ways of doing so.

Originally posted 2009-01-26 18:17:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Facebook is one of the most popular websites in the world, with more than 150 million active users. The site quickly introduced a new “Bill of Rights”, and is allowing the site’s users to comment and vote on the new wording of the Terms of Service.

As CNN noted, Facebook, and we quote, “granted itself permanent rights to users’ photos, wall posts and other information, even after a user closed an account.”

Thousands of angry users either cancelled their accounts in protest.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was quick to point out that users reminded the company that they feel a real sense of ownership over Facebook itself, and just the information that they share over the site.

Facebook was quick to clarify their position, which eased a lot of minds. Here is an excerpt from that statement:

“We are not claiming and have never claimed ownership of material that users upload. The new Terms were clarified to be more consistent with the behavior of the site. That is, if you send a message to another user (or post to their wall, etc…), that content might not be removed by Facebook if you delete your account (but can be deleted by your friend).

The note goes on to say that any limitations that a user puts on display of the uploaded content are respected by Facebook.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has also posted a more philosophical response on the Facebook blog saying that while the new Terms of Service were “overly formal”, and that the company is encouraging user input for a new Terms of Service. In essence, they admit as new features are introduced, mistakes will be made, because companies like Facebook are new.

“Rather than simply reissue a new Terms of Use, the changes we’re announcing today are designed to open up Facebook so that users can participate meaningfully in our policies and our future,” said Zuckerberg, referring to how the company is now accepting input into a new Terms of Use.

In 2006, Facebook launched the News Feed, which is a key part of the Facebook site now, but it caused a great deal of uproar when it was introduced, since users can see what a friend’s friends are up to. Users came to accept the feature, though.

Many websites use user information for marketing purposes, including Facebook. For example, if you make it known to the site that you’re single, you will see a lot of singles ads. Websites across the internet use such methods.

A golden rule of thumb seems to be that people shouldn’t post anything to the internet that they want kept private or that could embarrass them, including pictures, video, and personal information. Sites like Facebook make it a lot harder for just anybody to find your information, but for sites like MySpace, YouTube, and Twitter, anyone can access it.

It’s important for users of sites and companies like Facebook to continue to make it known what they feel is acceptable for a Terms of Service. This will remind companies not to get power hungry, and that, overall, the success of such sites solely depends on how they treat their users and customers, and their content.

Originally posted 2009-03-02 01:33:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Starting this week, students will be emailed an invitation to take a survey to better understand student experiences with technology. It’s completely confidential, and no personally identifying information will be published.

To take the survey, go to http://tinyurl.com/collegesurvey.

The winner of the iPod Touch will be randomly chosen within four weeks after the study is completed.  All you need to do is place your student ID at the beginning of the survey.

The survey itself will be thorough, discussing everything from what software you use on a regular basis, to what sites you use to blog and or do social networking (Facebook, MySpace, etc.).

It will ask questions about what kinds of electronics you use, which email provider you prefer, and the ways you communicate (e-mail, text messaging, etc).

It is important that students respond to the survey because it is essential that we understand the technology that runs in our daily lives. However, that doesn’t mean everyone has equal knowledge about how to use it. This survey will gauge that understanding.

This survey is a fantastic way to address that knowledge gap. It will also help the college better target the most common issues students are having with technology.

It will be of great benefit to students that the college knows your level of skill with technology.

This way, they can create better methods in helping you understand how to use computers, especially during your college life.

If you have any questions about the survey, you can contact Dwayne Harapnuik at dwayne.harapnuik@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca, or (403) 320-3202 Ext 5349. You can also visit http://learn.lethbridgecollege.net.

In my next column, two weeks from now, I’ll take a look at Windows Vista and the controversy surrounding it. If you have any thoughts on any of my articles, please email me at kevin.lloyd@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca or visit www.thedigitaldistraction.com.

Originally posted 2008-10-02 10:44:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter