life & style // no. 12 theotherpress.ca Four changes made possible by Change.org > Petitioning at its finest EG Manilag Staff Writer hat a time to be alive, folks! Thanks to the internet, specifically Change. org, everyone can now bring about major changes. This online petition platform works by gathering signatures from people worldwide. Today, millions of signatures are making significant changes—especially to some corrosive and discriminatory policies (which we all know are tough to beat). But as Helen Keller allegedly said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Here are the top four petitions: 1. Canada bans cruel shark-fin trade A great victory for sharks! Because of Oceana Canada starting this petition, shark-fin trading is now banned. This trading does nothing good, especially for the sharks and other marine life. According to the petition, 71 percent of the fins that were collected were from “at-risk” species. Moreover, the saddest part about this was that after the fins are cut off from the shark, they are directly tossed back into the ocean—having no chance of survival. This cruelty was globally exposed by famous Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart in his 2006 movie Sharkwater. Because of the petition and the worldwide exposure from the film, Canada has officially banned shark-fin trading. The petition successfully garnered 313,033 supporters. 2. Google dumps Pray Away the Gay app After 143,825 people signed an online petition, Google eliminated their Tips for beginners to mysticality controversial app. The petition was started by an organization called Truth Wins Out (TWO). This organization seeks to expose “ex-gay” conversion products as well as leaders. This organization currently has 288,362 supporters on Change.org. The mean-spirited app is known to prey on LGBTQ+ youths, forcing them to believe that homosexuality is an addiction. Although the app was immediately removed from Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon online stores, Google’s version of the app stayed up for a while. This bad move backfired, and later Google deleted the app completely. 3. Two magazine publishing companies photoshopping their models Julia Bluhm, a blogger for the SPARK movement who aims to fight sexism in the media, successfully garnered 85,583 supporters for her petition to stop Seventeen magazine from publishing air- brushed models. Eight years ago, Bluhm aimed her petition at Jordan Barnes, the photo director at Seventeen. Julia stated in her petition that most of the pretty women in their magazines are fake. She goes on to state that “They’re often photoshopped, air-brushed, edited to look thinner, and to appear like they have perfect skin. A girl you see in a magazine probably looks a lot different in real life.” Because of the large number of supporters, the magazine listened and committed to “not alter the body size or face shape of the girls and models in the magazine, and to feature a diverse range of beauty in its pages.” Soon after, Cleo magazine also faced petitions from Change. » How to read tarot cards for yourself and others Tania Arora Staff Writer ave you ever been to a psychic? I have been a few times. And what honestly attracted me most—more than seeking answers to questions—was the aura and vibe of the room. I might sound like a high- school kid here, but it is just so cool. Tarot card reading can be seen as both an art and a science. The way different decks are designed with various images and their significance is an art to be adored. Each card has a meaning behind it that can be related to life and also used to find instant answers to our personal questions. Our queries are the situations and the cards are multiple theories waiting to be proposed in solving problems. You may find many psychics around you because the art does not require any degree. YouTube is filled with tarot card videos. The intuitive part is more important than the knowledge of the cards. Learning tarot is just like learning to do anything else. To some it comes naturally, and others apply science and learning to understand. If you are interested in reading but cannot afford to pay for a psychic or just haven't started yet, the following are tips for you. 1)Feel free to make mistakes While you start to learn and apply tarot, never be scared to make mistakes. For some reason, the art of tarot reading is expected to be flawless by society. Every time we get a reading done or do one ourselves, we expect it to be 100 percent true. There is just so much pressure to be right, yet reading tarot—like any other art—may or may not be right. Ifa doctor can misdiagnose someone, a teacher can teach the wrong information, or a newspaper can publish wrongful information, so too can readings turn out to be untrue. After all, we are all only human. 2) Less is more Just as in an essay where a good point can be made with a few words, a good tarot reading can be done with few cards. You might not necessarily need a bunch of different decks to predict the situation. 3) Read for yourself A lot of people would advise against this, but reading for yourself makes sense to me since you know more about your personal situation and emotions. You clearly understand yourself so you can clearly understand the meaning of the cards. There is nothing rigid about “accuracy” in tarot, whatever you interpret is how you are actually feeling about it. org—ultimately leading them to ban the digital altercation of the faces and bodies of their models as well. 4. Teva Pharmaceuticals to reproduce their ‘lifesaving’ chemotherapy drug Vincristine is a critical drug that serves as an effective treatment for child patients who are diagnosed with cancer. This irreplaceable drug was primarily and majorly produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals— an American based company. They discontinued their production due to only accounting for three percent in the market. The company’s elimination of owas Membership ssuart a petition Wy painene change.org m for change The world’s platfor jon. Victories -337,766819 people taking action. Victor rman Ww deported witson cordero will not Le : erving Cana Photo by EG Manilag “as a childhood leukemia survivor, this drug helped save my life. As a paediatric oncology nurse, | see it help save the lives Mount Pleasant serving up slices of heaven » Local Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery review Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor During my last trip down to Lemonade—which totally wasn’t planned He you ever wondered what a slice of heaven tastes like? Well, wonder no longer because that slice can be found at 3385 Cambie Street in downtown Vancouver. A clean, modern brick and glass fixture sits in the Mount Pleasant area. This is Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery—a community favourite that definitely offers the equivalent of a slice of heaven on earth. Especially for those of us who are gluten- free or curious about it. Lemonade is proud to be a 100 percent gluten-free and locally-owned bake shop—using all-natural baking products and ingredients without preservatives or additives. They make their own flour blends using organic quinoa and millet flour, sorghum flour, and organic corn flour. A running motto around shop is that customers just might forget that they're eating gluten-free! As an added bonus—because you need another excuse to visit a bakery serving up slices of heaven—Lemonade Bakery caters to those who are vegan, and those with sensitivities to common allergens such as eggs, dairy, and soy. They even have sugar-free options! but when in the area, you gotta drop vincristine has led to a national shortage, leaving children diagnosed with cancer a small fighting chance. Liliana Haas, a childhood leukemia survivor and paediatric oncology nurse, completely disagreed with the company’s decision and started a petition through Change.org. In her petition she powerfully states: What the cards mean according to books is not as meaningful as the emotions that naturally surface. To read tarot, one must have their own unique perspective that they can identify cards with. 4) Make example sentences You can treat every tarot card with a word. Every card has a different meaning in various situations: the definition for an isolated card will differ entirely when it comes up ina pile. You may use the same words but identify the different meanings each time. 5) Trust yourself Needless to say, but I'll do it anyways—if you cannot trust yourself, no one else can either. If you doubt your own readings, they will never turn out to be relatable. When you read, just keep all your doubts and inhibitions on the side, focus on the card you pull out. Carefully observe and of my patients every day. These kids rely on this drug to survive.” It did not take long for her petition to garner a whopping 215,307 signatures. This got an immediate response from the company. Teva Pharmaceuticals promised to restart the reproduction of vincristine “as early in 2020 as possible.” Illustration by Athena Little speak what you feel when you see the card. Reading tarot cannot be learned in a day or two. It takes time, practice, and complete devotion. Each card has a different message to it. Keep your thoughts open and words mindful. Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor W: are well on our way into March now. The rain sure hasn't stopped yet, but flowers have begun to spring from the thawed ground— and soon the season of spring shall follow! Are you ready to get out there and stretch those spring chicken legs? If not, don’t worry, the Other Press has got you covered with another amazing issue challk-full of fun, sun, art, and entertainment. Speed Date in Vancouver: Who Do You Relish? * Date: March 10 * Location: Grain Tasting Bar, 655 Burrard Street, Vancouver * Time: 8 to10 pm * Price: $45 per ticket TICKETS FOR WOMEN SOLD OUT. Online dating got you down? Drained from meeting someone just to find out that they're nothing like their profile? It’s time to break up with this old- fashioned method of meeting someone new. This offering is an alternative to the digital booty call! Comfortably put together in stylish venues with sensibility, they offer a sophisticated approach to singles events with no surprises, no cat fishing, and no frills. Ages 24 to 38. T'S HAP >» March 10 to 15 Growing Room Literary & Arts Festival * Date: March 11 to 15 * Location: Various locations, Vancouver * Time: 5 to 8 pm * Price: Varies—but many events are free! More than 50 boundary-defying talent events and more than 85 nationally acclaimed writers, poets, actors, comedians, singers, musicians, and artists from across the nation will be featured at Growing Room Literary & Arts Festival to share multicultural storytelling. Come check out something you haven't seen before! Begbie’s Comedy Night * Date: March 12 and every Thursday night * Location: Judge Begbie's Tavern, 609 Columbia St, New Westminster * Time: 8 to 9:30 pm Price: student ticket is $5, regular ticket is $10 New comics are always emerging in New Westminster, spreading their wings and strutting their styles. This tavern offers comedy every Thursday night, and every month has one comedy night devoted to an all-female & non-binary line- up. They also host special holiday events, improv- stand up, mashups, and more! Bob Saget * Date: March 13 * Location: River Rock Casino Resort, 8811 River by—I found a new favourite. You might be thinking, oh, it’s the gluten-free pecan and cranberry tart with its delightfully Photo by Billy Bui flavourful flaky crust and tangy winter fruit that cuts through the classic sweetness of pecan butter (with no butter!!). There’s no way it couldn’t be my new favourite!? Alas, the pecan cranberry tart is not the winner. Nor is it the shop’s namesake lemon meringue—with its fresh zippy lemon and ooey-gooey meringue peaks—or the campfire cupcake which is all chocolatey and toasted. My new favourite gluten-free dessert at Lemonade Gluten Free Bakery is the passionfruit meringue tart. It is simply scrumptious. A fabulous, sharp, citrusy passionfruit centre offers a creamy mouthfeel. It is mixed with a denser version of the deliciously flaky butter-flavoured crust. This tart is everything you could ask for in a dessert. Especially a gluten-free dessert! So yes, ladies and gentlemen, this passionfruit meringue tart is exactly what a slice of heaven tastes like. With a clean and simple, albeit small interior, this sweet little hot spot serves up dangerously delicious desserts and snacks with a welcoming smile during each visit. For a full menu, as well as ordering options and how best to dine on the delicious offerings of this sweet little shop, check out their website www. lemonadebakery.ca Road, Richmond * Time: 8pm * Price: $91.25 per ticket This one is for the old souls. Bob Saget is in town! Saget is famous for his family-friendly performances on Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos—but his unorthodox stand-up comedy is the real treasure. If you like something a little out of the ordinary, and if you want to laugh so hard that your drink shoots through your nose, join Bob Saget at the River Rock Show Theatre! 21st Century Flea Market * Date: Marchi5 * Location: Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr, Vancouver * Time: 10 am to 3 pm * Price: $5 at the door Flea markets are like stepping into a new world. They’re crazy cool and full of fabulous finds. Sunday only, come and snag something Boho chic, something 50s kitsch, maybe some trinkets and antiques or retro furnishings. You'll even set your sights on jewelry of all kinds! China and glass, linen and lace; this flea market has got it all! And for the uber-man in your life: sporting goods, lamps and shades, and silverware! It doesn’t stop there but I’m going to—you'll have to go to see what else they have!