As Harden’s contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder was approaching its expiry date, Houston was highly interested in signing him to their roster. Once the Thunder realized that losing Harden could affect their NBA playoff run, they offered him $53 million for four years to renew his contract. Houston knew that signing Harden would help them achieve a better season and offered him $80 million for four years—an offer he could not refuse.

Oklahoma’s fans are expecting so much from them this year. Letting go of an outstanding player like James Harden was a tragedy. Although Oklahoma City lost an important part of their starting lineup, they seem to be doing fine without him. They’re maintaining their position at the top of their league and hopefully go for another playoff run. And as for James Harden, he definitely seems to be enjoying his $80 million.

Showcasing forty models and multiple celebrity performances, the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was one of the most watched events of the year. The show took place on Wednesday, November 7th, 2012 but was broadcast on CBS, on Tuesday December 4th. The event was held at New York’s Lexington Armory. Models included Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Erin Heatherton, Miranda Kerr and thirty-five other gorgeous models. The fashion show also included celebrity performers with performances by Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Bruno Mars. The show incorporated various themes: Circus, Dangerous Liaisons, Calendar Girls, PINK, Silver Screen Angels, and Angels in Bloom (floral).

Show stopping performances by Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars were a few of the shows highlights. Rihanna performed her hit single “Diamonds” from her new album “Unapologetic” during the “Dangerous Liaisons” section of the show. Later, Rihanna appeared for “Angels in Bloom” to perform “Presh Out the Runway” while also showing off her catwalk. Fierce! Justin Bieber slowed things down to perform an acoustic version of his single “As Long As You Love Me” and also performed once again during the PINK section of the fashion show with “Beauty and a Beat”. Bruno Mars performed “Locked out of Heaven” during the “Calendar Girls” theme and also sang “Young Girls” for the “Silver Screen Angels” section.

Although the performances were entertaining, the VS fashion show would not be a show without its forty bombshell models. Well known supermodels such as Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio stunned the audience as they walked down the glitter filled runway. Alessandra was given the opportunity to wear the 2012, 2.5 million dollar Fantasy Bra which includes a total of 5,200 precious stones including rubies and diamonds. A total of 63 outfits were worn by the models. “It’s the most glamorous show you can be in, and it’s such a small amount of selected girls that are in the show, so I feel very honoured to be here!” said model Doutzen Kroes. The VS fashion show attracted 9.3 million viewers making it the number one show on CBS. This made the approximate 12 million dollars spent in production worth every penny! The 2012 Victoria Secret Fashion Show was a definite extravaganza and we will have to wait to see what will happen at the next show.

Twitter is a great tool; as an online podcast co-host, I find it’s a great tool to connect with my listeners. However it’s opened up the rumour mill with anonymous sources now able to report things without having to prove if they actually have sources. I guarantee that I see one false rumour every day on Twitter from anonymous sources. So the next time you see a tweet from an anonymous source saying “Roberto Luongo has been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Tyler Bozak and a second round pick.” Take a step back and look at who’s reporting it. And if it’s looks like it’s too good to be true, there is a pretty good chance that it is fact too good to be true.

March 4 2013, Bieber had a concert in London that was scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. Fans from all over the world had paid as much as 331 pounds (500 dollars) for a ticket to see the star perform. Many of them showed up as early as 6:30 p.m. However, Bieber arrived two hours late at 10:20 p.m. At this point, many fans had to leave to catch the last bus home. Others were stranded because of the late show and no transit. Parents were furious and claimed that Justin Bieber was disrespectful for making their children wait that long.

When Bieber was questioned about why he had decided to show up so late, he defended himself by saying that his lateness was due to “technical issues”. He also claimed that he was only 40 minutes late.

Kelly Jones (while having a live chat with The Sun newspaper) later stated that Justin Bieber had no excuse. Jones said, “He’s probably got 80 people around him, and if none of them have got a watch with all the money he’s got then something’s wrong isn’t it?” Jones felt that showing up late was Justin Bieber’s way of rebelling against the expectations people had for him.

Sources say Bieber was late because he was playing video games and apparently he threw a tantrum and said “It’s my gig, I will go out when I want to.”

Beliebers reported that they felt ‘forgotten’ and ‘rejected’ by their hero who was showing too much attitude. Soon after, the teen idol apologized to his fans on Twitter and promised that there wouldn’t be a repeat at his remaining London concerts. He still insisted that he was only being 40 minutes late.

Bieber showed up 30 minutes early for his second gig in London on Tuesday evening March 12 2013 to make up for what had happened the night before.  Many fans felt that it was an inadequate apology. Judging by the comments made by fans of the star, they were offended by his behavior. Many of them felt that he would have done everyone a favour if he hadn’t shown up at all. Bieber clearly upset many people that night, so it wouldn’t be surprising if his London fans choose not to spend money on tickets for a concert of his in the future.

The country/pop singer, 23, mentioned how she felt that Styles from the band One Direction, 19, was eyeing every girl he saw. At first, “It was all, like, ‘you’re amazing, I want to be with you. I want to do this,’” she told Vanity Fair magazine. Taylor also didn’t feel comfortable with the UK singer’s partying ways. It was too much for her to handle. Swift said he “disappeared one night and after that it was like he just didn’t want to keep going”. Styles’ rep says these rumors are untrue.

Taylor mentioned how Styles’ habit of flirting with other girls left her feeling insecure, and she thought he wasn’t fully invested in the relationship. She felt she couldn’t trust the heartthrob after she saw pictures of him making out with a friend. She broke it off immediately after the incident occurred, but Styles “wooed” her into taking him back. Even after he invited her to spend time with him in London, she still felt his eyes were wandering a bit too much. All Styles mentioned about the relationship was that he thought it was a “pain.”

When the pair broke it off after their two month romance, it sparked rumors about her moving too fast after she was spotted with Ed Sheeran later that month. “If you want some big revelation, since 2010 I have dated exactly two people,” she says. “The fact that there are slide shows of a dozen guys that I either hugged on a red carpet or met for lunch or wrote a song with … it’s just kind of ridiculous.” She mentions that she’s not the “clingy, insane, desperate girlfriend” that she’s made out to be. “For a female to write about her feelings, and then be portrayed as some clingy, insane, desperate girlfriend in need of making you marry her and have kids with her, I think that’s taking something that potentially should be celebrated – a woman writing about her feelings in a confessional way – that’s taking it and turning it and twisting it into something that is frankly a little sexist” said Swift, defending herself after her love life came under scrutiny from the press and curious fans. It was mentioned that Styles was too busy with his music career and fiercely enjoying his party life to get involved in a committed fling with someone.

Taylor demanded all footage of their time spent together to be removed from One Direction’s upcoming 3D movie. After Swift’s new single “I Knew You Were Trouble” was released, she finally told Time Magazine that it was about the heartthrob Harry Styles. Their abrupt fling has now turned into an indirect war between the two celebrities’ fan base. But for now, Taylor wants to focus everything on her 2013 world tour while Styles is preparing for his 2013 North American tour and the launch for One Direction’s upcoming 3D movie in August.

This isn’t the first sinkhole that posed a danger this year. Earlier in March, a 37 year old man was swallowed by a sinkhole that opened beneath his house in Tampa Bay, Florida. Officials said that the soil was very soft around the house and recommended that the neighbours take shelter somewhere else for the night. “If you were to touch it, it’s going up and down and comes back up,” said Jessica Alfaro, a neighbour, about the soil on the ground of the house. Jessica Damico from Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said, “The time is actually buckled up quite a bit. It’s not like a normal tile crack you would see. It’s buckled up a few inches above the slab.” This would be the fourth sinkhole in less than a month that opened in the Seffner area.

Sinkholes aren’t just opening in the US, either.   On April 19^th in Ontario, a sinkhole opened in the middle of a highway near the North Bay road around 3am. Luckily, there were no injuries. “The question now, with all the rain we have been getting, is where the next one going to be?” said Ontario provincial police inspector, Mark Andrews.

In today’s world of equality, why are introverts still nothing but a mere shadow of the great mountain that is extroversion?  It’s certainly not because of shyness, contrary to popular belief.  Could the answer be a lack of respect, a lack of self-acceptance, or what we’re taught throughout our childhood that the “model person” should be like?

25% of the world’s population is introverted, while the remaining 75% of the population are extroverted.  Why is this?  Really, it’s because of our cultural beliefs and expectations.  Extroverts are the type of people who are energized when they are with other people: they love going out and being with others, enjoy social situations, and talking to as many people as they can.  In our society, extroversion is the standard personality among the population, and the most accepted.  This leaves introverts in a very obstructed situation.

Introverts are often the most misunderstood types of people.  Because introverts often find their inner world more appealing, they can often be referred to as aloof.  They speak honestly,  never beat around the bush, and never sugar-coat their statements, which leads to the belief that introverts are rude.  Introverts like to interact with only one or two people at a time and don’t like small talk, which makes people believe that they are anti-social or socially awkward.  Of course, the most prominent belief is that introverts are shy because they don’t talk, which is not true at all.  Introverts, especially children, can often feel self-conscious and neglected due to their orientation, especially in classroom environments.

Introverts find their peace and energy when alone.  Trust me, it’s not as mundane and dull as you may think.  Being alone allows introverts to be with their own thoughts, and recharge.  While extroverts like to be outside, being the thrill-seekers they are, introverts would much rather relax at home.  Relaxing at home with their thoughts allows introverts to do what they do best: problem-solve and immerse themselves in their own discoveries.  Their ideas are their empowerment.  Sure, they can still enjoy the pleasantries of the outside world, but it’s exhausting after so long.  Partying all night long is something an introvert may never understand.  Making decisions based on what’s popular or trendy is out of the question with introverts.  They would much rather be valued for the path that they create for themselves than following the crowd.  That’s why their inner world is so much more rewarding and satisfying than trying to follow the outer world.

Introversion is not a lifestyle.  Introverts and extroverts are different due to the contrast of their brain activity, but more specifically, the amount of dopamine in their brains.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that allows us to feel pleasure, emotion and excitement.  Introverts are overly-sensitive to a high amount of dopamine, making them feel over-stimulated and exhausted.  I, for example, feel extremely tired when I drink a cup of coffee.  Coffee is supposed to create energy and adrenaline, but because of oversensitivity I become exhausted.  Extroverts, on the other hand, enjoy the feeling of having high amounts of dopamine.  They constantly require adrenaline to produce it, which explains all the partying, talking and the need to be with others.

Introverts can often feel hatred towards themselves because they do not live up to the standards of extroverts, but people who are introverted contribute a lot to this world, such as becoming scientists (Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton), composers (Frederic Chopin), writers (C.S Lewis, J.K Rowling, Jane Austen) and even Olympic athletes (Midori Ito).  Extroverts are just as amazing in their own way, but introverts sometimes need to be reminded to respect themselves.  Introverts have brilliant minds, and the neglect they feel can sometimes make them forget that.  Introverted people don’t need a vigorous amount of love, they need respect.  More importantly, introverts need to start respecting themselves as people of brilliance rather than floating in the endless void of thoughts about being undervalued and unappreciated because the people in their lives, such as peers, teachers and relatives, label them as shy, quiet, and pessimistic.  So the next time you encounter someone who seems introverted in your extrovert-dominated classroom, don’t ask if anything is wrong with them if they seem quiet.  Or, more preferably, don’t talk to them at all.  They’d like that.

all of them more shy and quiet than the last group. They are always welcomed by Frank Hurt,

with a pep rally, pancake breakfast, and more. I’m sure it makes them feel great since high

school is truly scary when you attend for the first time.

Many grade eights have trouble opening their lockers, figuring out where their classes are,

reading their timetables, and even finding new friends. So in order to properly make our new

bees welcome in our school, we should help them out when we see them struggling in the halls

or when they are sitting by themselves. We could go say “hi”, and introduce ourselves. This

might ease the fear in them. Don’t bully them because they are little and afraid of you. It’s not

fair!

Remember when you were in their position? That new “junior”, the grade eight kid? It

wasn’t that easy for you, and it’s still hard for those new students. If they need help with

anything, help them. Then they can go home and talk about you, and how you helped them.  It’s

a rewarding gesture.  That’s Frank Hurt, a welcoming environment, no matter who you are. You

will always fit in somewhere. Having the wonderful leadership students, the administration

department, the teachers, the  janitors, and the Hornets as a whole is amazing, so to all the New Bees

don’t worry, you’ll be just fine!

The new polymer 20 dollar bills were released on November 7^th   2012. The old bills featured an aboriginal statue, other aboriginal art and the Canadian parliament buildings.  The old 20 dollar bills celebrated aboriginal culture. The new bills celebrate Canadian veterans. A picture of the Canadian parliament, the national Vimy Ridge memorial, a large image of the Queen, and many poppies are featured on the new bill.

The bills are still green, just like the old 20 dollar bills, but the new bills are made out of polymer and they have a transparent stripe down one side with a shiny stripe inside the transparent stripe. On the shiny stripe there is a picture of Queen Elizabeth II and the main tower of the Canadian parliament buildings. When the polymer bills are put into a freezer, they become brittle and shatter when dropped. These are measures to prevent counterfeiting, which is most common with 20 dollar bills. Did nobody think that cold Canadian winters would freeze the bills? There have been a few problems with machinery accepting the new bills. Transit machines wouldn’t accept the new bills and some see this as another flaw in the bill. This leaves one wondering, would anyone spend a 20 dollar bill at a transit machine?

With the transit machines not accepting the new bills and the Norwegian maple leaf mishap, some say that these bills are a step backwards from the Canadian mint. Others say that counterfeiting will go down because of the measures taken with these new bills. Time will tell if the new bills actually have a positive effect.