Is there a song you can’t stop listening to? Or do you cry when that one lyric that speaks to you? Does your body feel free when listening to your favorite song? That is our mind and bodies reacting to music. Now, our brains can do a lot of things. The ability to memorize, to constantly learn and grow, to help our bodies do many things. Our brains react differently under different circumstances.

Music is a universal language, it allows us to feel, to move and to be moved. If a song portrays a certain emotion, we are able to feel that specific emotion. Even playing an instrument can expand our minds and help with memory. Music is very therapeutic, it heals without us really thinking about it, that’s beauty of it.

Music is constantly evolving. In more recent years, Music Therapy has become more popular under Alternative Medicine, more common with those who are under the Autism spectrum. Since Music Therapy works very closely with the mind, some parents prefer this form of therapy as it is less binding and more free for younger children with ASD. It can help from things like cognitive behaviors, fine motor skills, social skills and even speech.

The Autism spectrum is very broad, every symptom is different per child. Some children can speak without being prompted, or able to write without issues. Other symptoms in children are more severe, some have little to no speech, others have low motor skills and need to be assisted more frequently than others. Every Autistic has their strengths and that’s what a lot people forget, they’re not broken, our brains just work differently.

My brother is Autistic and has been seeing a Music Therapist for five years. And in these five years, I’ve seen his speech, focus and memory improve. Music Therapy works differently on each child, whether they are on the spectrum or if they are neurotypical.

Not only does Music Therapy help with some symptoms with Autism, but it helps with other mental and physical symptoms. It is known to help with symptoms of depression of anxiety, improving ones mood, physical pains and physical health, pregnancy in women and heart health.

Music is a universal language, it speaks to the human body and mind in many ways; and I’m sure there are more ways that haven’t been discovered yet.  There’s a reason why people are drawn to music, it is a healer.

If you want to listen to more on Music Therapy with a Music Therapist, checkout my podcast with Brandon Degroote.

There is power in words. Words have a high impact on the right platforms. It’s not the . Both parties are using Twitter or Instagram to share their beliefs, ideologies and messages to convey their followers.

This years Midterm Elections in the United States had its biggest turn out.

(photo from https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/19/18103110/2018-midterm-elections-turnout)

Could social media have something to do with the higher turn out?

In the Trump administration, comedians are using their social media to tackle the current state of America.

At times it may seem immature, like when some comedians use their platform to bash someone as opposed to explaining their issues towards that person.  Remember when Kathy Griffin posted a photo of her holding what looked like Trumps head? I will not be sharing the photo. But that’s a poor example of a comedian using their platform.

Stand-Up Specials

Who doesn’t love a good comedy special? Robin Williams or George Carlin, anyone?

George Carlin tackles the public in this three minute clip, saying the public has no right to complain when they vote during the election for they are the one’s electing the people they are essentially complaining about. It’s the public’s fault for voting in terrible people.

“Horse loose in a Hospital”, a small snip-bit from a interview between Comedian John Mulaney and Stephen Colbert. In which Mulaney explains that Trump is very much a horse loose in a hospital. It comes from his latest stand-up special “Kid Gorgeous”. It’s one of his only jokes on politics.

Late Night TV Hosts

Late night television hosts have always had their knack at whatever is happening in the news. That’s the staple of  all late night TV, even before the Trump administration. Show hosts like Trevor Noah, John Oliver, Stephen Colbert have all been outspoken this term with all the events occurring in America. From scandal’s within the white house to poor tweets from white house representatives.

Trevor Noah says that it’s easier to write a joke but it’s harder to communicate with audience in showing them that you, the comedian understand and feel the same way they do.

What Noah says is very true and it’s something that all comedians should be cautious about when writing a joke. It’s one thing to be angry and shoot off the mouth, because certainly everyone else is angry. It’s another thing to be careful and time your jokes properly so it won’t seem poor or distasteful.

The President and Twitter.

There’s a lot to be said when Trump tweets something out into the internet. He makes it so easy for ANYONE to tweet back at him. Just takes a couple of words and hitting tweet. Twitter has become an easier and scary platform to attack anyone from anywhere.

Take Michelle Wolf. She was the comedian who performed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last year. She and Trump have had a couple of back and forth’s on Twitter leaving off with this number:

I don’t have the proper words to explain what I am thinking about her response. At least it’s not as bad as Kathy Griffin.

Social media is ever evolving and so are the ways that comedians use them. It’s best if comedians use their platforms to properly get their messages in a non-distasteful way.

From mainstream comedians to homegrown comedians, check out the “Rimshot” podcast getting into the nitty gritty of comedy over on SoundCloud

A dollar can make a difference. It may not be much of an impact to those who already make more than the minimum wage, but it makes a difference to low-income families, students who live on their own and small business owners.

Post-Secondary schooling hasn’t always been this expensive. It has risen significantly over the last twenty years. When school costs begin to rise, student debt rises too. For this generation, its even harder to get jobs. Requirements are asking for years more experience than previous generations, which leaves post graduates with minimum wage jobs to help pay their debts which are incredibly higher then a decade ago. It’s a trickle affect.

Students like Keerti Grewal, who is in her second year of university and lives in the downtown core. Grewal did some calculations and told me that she’ll most likely be in school until she is 27. She has many ambitions and goals she’ll like to achieve through post-secondary schooling.

The 19 year old student, works part-time at Toronto’s largest and tallest tourist attraction, the CN Tower. The downtown core is an expensive area, how is a young adult supposed to support herself when she is paying rent, buying her own groceries, supplies for school when she is making less than the adults who are in their late twenties and older. Grewal can’t afford to move back home and commute back and forth to her classes at OCAD University either.

(Grewal looking at photos she took for an assignment)

The other side minimum wage pause is so that small businesses can take breath to get back on their feet from the last wage hike.

Mujeeb Ahmed, owner of Pariwar Restaurant over Scarborough says “If you’re increasing the minimum wage, I know its going to benefit for the people. But (at the) same time, you’re not getting that much of hours. People used to be working 40 hours a week, now 30 hours a week. So it’s evening out, before it was $11.25, right? So instead of making 40 hours, they’re making less and that’s how its going to affect everybody.”

 (Mujeeb Ahmed, Pariwar Restaurant)

A minimum wage would affect the economy greatly, not only can affect business small and large, it can affect everyday workers. When the minimum wage does rise, it’ll affect you, the tax payers as well. It’s the trickle affect. What would you do to make a better and stronger everyday life for minimum wage workers?

It has only been a few weeks since Marijuana has been legalized here in Canada. As much as people enjoy to smoke marijuana, do people really know the affects of smoking up?

What do the experts say?

Esther Carenza, a medical and legal consultant says, “In terms of the mind.. Generally speaking, it’ll affect your movement, coordination, your balance and also your body control. It also affects.. How you are thinking, so you may have lapses in your memory. There’s also a cognitive aspect to it, how you’re thinking… It affects your response time, response in terms of when you’re driving and you don’t respond as quickly as you would while driving…”

The Government of Canada website elaborates more in a list of ways that Cannabis affects your driving:

• affecting motor skills;
• slowing reaction time;
• impairing short term memory and concentration;
• causing drivers to vary speed and to wander; and
• reducing the ability to make decisions quickly or handle unexpected events

According to the Government of Canada website, “22% of youth who have used cannabis said they drove while impaired and most said they did it because they don’t think it’s as dangerous as drunk driving”.

It affects more than your mind.

On average, one in three Canadians die from car crashes involving an impaired driver. 45% of drivers tested positive for Cannabis in their systems at the time of the crash.

Kyle Mones, a victim of impaired driving was on his way home when an intoxicated driver hit his car. The driver, under the influence of drugs went through a red light and damaged Mones’ car.

Mones was shaken up by the accident, but not as gravely as it would someone else’s mind.

 Mones’ arms circles the area where his car was damaged.

There are laws that say drivers should not drive with alcohol in their system (drinking and driving). Alcohol may affect one’s mind differently, but nonetheless still affects a driver. If people can’t drive while they’re drunk, how is it any acceptable or more/less responsible to drive while high? Read the numbers and decide.

Bonus: If you want to watch an educational yet entertaining video on the affects and dangers of driving high, check out: The Try Guys Test High Driving.