March 2012

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RYL eZine March 2012 [Type the document subtitle] [Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.] User [Pick the date]

Editorial

Hello and welcome to a brand new eZine! We've been away for a while now, due to technical difficulties and other issues, but now we are back and ready to provide you all with a somewhat regular service. As you can see we have a brand new format and hope that it will be easy and enjoyable for you to enjoy the eZine's features. As well as a new format we have a brand new shiny team, who have been a delight to work with so far and are looking to be promising, positive attributes to the team. This edition of the eZine is more like a pilot episode, testing out new things, exploring our resources and talents, and most importantly trying to work out what our readers want. There will be threads for you to comment on this issue, along with space for any suggestions, likes/dislikes. Tell us what YOU want. I think that’s all from me. Any questions/comments can be sent to myself or posted in the current threads. Take care, stay safe and enjoy!

Zed/Zedebee

CT News

What's happening with the Community Team! The biggest change recently has been Duffer44 stepping down as joint head after 2 years. A huge thank you must go to him for all the hours and work he put in to the CT. The Community Team are gearing up for Easter and are working on our annual Easter Egg competition so watch out for details coming soon! A few years ago RYL ran a 3 legged race in London; it was a huge success with members coming from across the UK. This year we aim to have another massive meet with international spin off's hopefully happening. It will take the form of a giant picnic weather permitting with silly competitions and games. We are currently finalising the big details and will shortly be announcing the details of the London meet. If anyone has any questions about the Community Team feel free to pm me! Camilla aka Random.swirls :)

Shout Outs

From LavaLamp (Emma) BigMike - When I was really struggling and feeling alone you sent me the loveliest message which really made me smile. You are funny and caring, I'm so lucky to have you as a friend. I want to say a big thank you to Ritzi (Fawkes), Lana (little.hamlet), Annabelle (Shine), Polly (Sunshine), Ami (ArtOfDeduction), Jenna (Narcissa) as well as so many others for their kindness, support and wonderful friendship! <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Zedebee To Kirsty (Just Believe.) for being amazing and supportive no matter what, for being understanding and making me smile at random things. We'll get through this. We have to

keep going because we have to meet each other and have epic times <3 To Bigmike for being such a lovely person and cheering me up with random PMs and most of all for being so enthusiastic about the eZine and bringing it back to life. Thank you =) TheHighestDefinition - I heart you lots, bruv. You've made so many evenings more bearable and always make me grin like a loon <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From BigMike To, Hobbes, thank you soo much for always being there for me even when I’m down and out, without you I think I would still be down and out right now, you're an amazing person so never forget it, I can't wait until I go to Calling with you! Much love <3 To, Everyone at RYL, thank you all very much! You lot are amazing and never fail to cheer me up, much love for you all! (Nat, Anna, Mary, Becky, Zed, Mari, you lot have been extra helpful and awesome to me so you get a little extra love <3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From anonymous I’d like to thank Bigmike for being awesome and cheering me up when I’ve gone psycho!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From anonymous To Annabelle (shine) 'I know you're struggling at the moment but I want you to remember we all care for you'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Field Of Paper Flowers, Lucius. (Gabz) Thank you so much for helping me this past month with everything I have been having trouble with and for letting me come over to Wolverhampton to hog your Pringles and eat cheesy pasta. You're amazing hun and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Also, don't forget you make the BEST coffee I have ever had. We'll make sure to do that trip to the cinema soon. Shout out for Marie (Rodolphus):

I haven't even known you that long Marie and you're already turning into one of my close friends. You're amazing, beautiful, funny and just such a wonderful person. Thank you for my bracelet you made me, I wear it all the time (apart from when I shower/bathe) and have been asked by many since you sent it me, "Oh I like your bracelet, where you get it?" and I smile and reply, "My friend made it me." and then go on to them about how lovely and awesome you are. =) Keep strong hun, don't let things get you down, you're too amazing for that. P.S. Can't wait to see you soon, I miss you. =')

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Bellatrix – To Jenna (Narcissa) "Your bravery astounds me. Love, your older sister."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Stacie Laura (PinkGlitteredFairy) Thank you for being there when I've been having a bad day and for the phone calls and texts to make sure I'm alright when my depression's been super bad. Even though I've not met you yet, I'm still going to say that you're an awesome friend and I hope you'll be in Exeter soon so we can meet up and stuff :) xx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Laurawr Firstly I would like to send a shout out to Jenna (Narcissa) saying: "Jenna you're one of my favourite members on RYL and you're always so kind and supportive to others. I love spending time with you as you're hilarious and thank you for the bracelets you gave out at the London meet. Keep fighting and don't give up, also you make awesome buffets and memes!" The second one I want to be to Jodie (Bellatrix) saying: "Hiya Jodie, you're a really wonderful girl and I hope you realise that soon, I know these past

few months have been especially hard for you but we're all here to support you and I know you can beat this. I look forward to seeing you at the next London meet" The third one to Lio (WanderingWomble) saying: "Hiya Lio, I really enjoyed meeting you and being asked to leave Paperchase 3 times after the last London meet :p, You may think that you're worthless but you're far from it. I know that you're scared about telling your parents about your situation at university but you have all of your crazy friends from RYL to support you if you're struggling." And the last one to Le Claire (ScoobyBoobyBoo) saying: "Hiya, It was really cool meeting you; I've never met anyone who loves sleep as much as me and I'm glad you share my passion for it. Although I still haven't forgiven you for encouraging me to gorge on Ben and Jerry's :p, I know you're finding things hard right now but you have everyone’s support and you know where I am if you ever want to send me a message or a tub of Ben and Jerry's :p"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From, anonymous "Dear Asura, I hope you are doing well. I am writing this because I believe you to be an extraordinarily compassionate and caring person and you should know that. Your compassionate nature makes you a great listener and a comfort to those who need it badly. You have an excellent grasp of language and seem to always know the right thing to say. You have a lot of potential and I believe that you can accomplish any goal that you set your mind to. You are a talented young man and I hope that you use your skills wisely. Remember to cherish the good things in life, including yourself because you are an absolute gem of a person. Do not doubt yourself. I'm glad that I managed to run across you, if only for a brief period time on an internet forum. I'm sorry this is not the eloquent note I wanted or intended this to be because you deserve the best. I wish you luck in all of your endeavours and I hope that you live a long and happy life from this point onward. I know that you can surpass any challenges that life throws your way and that you will be all the stronger for the experience. Thank you for your humour and laughter and your kind heart. Thank you ever so much for being there when it seemed no one wanted to listen. Thank you for being understanding and offering your help. You are a kind soul and a good soul. Be well and live in peace. Thank you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From, Andrea (Akita) -

"All the lolz to Mike (Bigmike) and his special needs goldfish (Francis)." To, Jenna (Narcissa) and Kat (CrazyKat), "you can get through anything life throws your way."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From GlitterTrashDoll To Belle. (Shine.) Thank you for making me confident again and being there for me. I can't wait for our coffee time in Easter. You're so kind and lovely. <3 To Marie. (Rodolphus) Keep smiling beautiful. You are amazing and I love you. <3 To Rikki (Overcome.) Thank you for being so lovely to me! (: I enjoy our little chats, I hope there is plenty more to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Collected by Bigmike

Dealing with unemployment After graduating university you expect that with your lovely new qualification and some work experience under your belt thanks to the course you studied, that getting a job would not be such a big deal... Right? Not necessarily right now. I have been out of work since finishing university in May and I won't lie, it sucks big time BUT it isn't just me going through this. According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics) between October-December 2011 the employment rate for those aged from 16 to 64 was 70.3 per cent. There were 29.13 million people in employment aged 16 and over, up 60,000 on the quarter.* These numbers are shocking and I know I'm not the only one on RYL who is unemployed after education, whether it is after school, college or university. However tough it has been for nearly a year for me to find a job, get rejections and not a single interview there is ALWAYS a silver lining. In November 2011 my job centre found me a photography course to study for 5 weeks, which I am currently doing (going into week 3 as I write this piece) and it has been amazing! It's great to be able to learn something I have wanted to since 2008 and not only am glad to be learning, I have also been offered to take an advanced photography course. If you're in my position where you don't have a job right now or you are worried that after finishing your education you may not be able to get a job, don't worry something will come up and as long as you keep looking and applying for jobs you will be alright! *http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/la...-bulletin.html By Field of Paper Flowers

Saving money

Living in today’s society with prices rising and money being tighter than ever, it’s important to learn how to save money and make the money you have go a little bit further. So with these tips you can save yourself some money and learn some tricks that you may never have thought of. Each issue we will be looking at a different area in where you can save money, this issue we will look at how you can cut your food bill down. - Rather than buying ready meals, try making your own meals, it may seem daunting and may be time consuming, but it works out cheaper (or the same cost as the value meals) and is much tastier – plus you can freeze food for convenience. So a few hours cooking once a week you can have tastier meals for a cheaper cost. - Tinned tomatoes are great for the base of many sauces, they cost around 30-40p per tin for the value brand, but can be used to make pasta sauce, spaghetti Bolognese, curry, red pepper sauce etc. It is so much nicer and healthier than buying the cheap value sauces (and even the more expensive ones). - Bulk meals up with vegetables, some are cheap to buy, especially frozen, but also make your meat dishes go further. So rather than having a chicken curry, have a chicken and vegetable curry, again its healthier and makes your meals last longer – plus you can add whatever vegetables you like. - Worcestershire sauce is great for adding to any dish for a bit of flavour. - Buying cheap value meat is a good option; the downside to this is there is more fat in the meat but that can easily be drained away when cooked. As long as it has the food approval stamp (looks like a little tractor) then it is safe to eat. All supermarket meat will have this stamp, so why not choose value for a change. - Be creative, even if you don’t have many ingredients you can still make a good meal, it’s all about knowing what you can create. - Google is a good source of recipes.

- Try to do a weekly/fortnightly shop rather than every few days, that way you buy what you need and not when you are hungry and just wanting food. - Take a list, that way you know how much you are going to spend and what you need to buy. - The reduced section is great, but only buy what you will use and not because it happens to be half price. - Shop around for certain items, for example a bottle of fizzy juice in a shop and a pack of crisps will cost around £1.50-£2, but places like home bargains/ B&M you can buy the same for around 50p. - Take your own lunches and drinks in a flask, while it’s nice to eat a sandwich and have a coffee that can cost you around £5, taking your own will save you that lunch money. - Pasta and rice are cheap enough to buy in the value brands, why pay for an expensive bag of rice and pasta when pasta costs roughly 30p in the value brands and rice 50p, that’s under £1 and will make the basis of many meals. - When buying fruit and vegetables, rather than buying the pre packed ones, look out for the loose ones instead. Usually these are cheaper per pound/kilo, (although check the label to make sure). - When buying meats/cheese/fish etc check out the supermarket counter if your local one has one, sometimes buying from there can work out cheaper than the isle stuff. - Look out for special offers (of course only buy things you need and not because they are on offer) but this way you can stock up on your favourite things while at a discounted price. - Rather than throwing bread out that is about to go out of date, stick it in the freezer so you can make toast at any time. - The value pot noodles are great while on a budget, but not very tasty to eat. Put some soy sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce in to make it taste nicer. - Going out to eat doesn’t have to be expensive (or eating in), look around on myvouchercodes.com for vouchers you can use, why pay full price when you can save some money. By Bleeding Angel

DIY - Easy Hemp Bracelets Supplies -Hemp string -Scissors -Thumb Tack (or safety pin, just something to hold your project in place) -Beads (optional)

Getting Started: Start by measuring your hemp. Wrap a length of it around your wrist.

Keeping hold of that length, double it over so you have twice as much. Cut the hemp.

Now, take another piece of hemp and cut it so it is five times as long as your first piece. I've used two different colours here, so the strands are easier to tell apart, but they can be whatever colour you like.

Fold the short piece in half, leaving a loop at the top. This will eventually be the bracelet's closure.

Use your thumb tack to stick it in place. Some people prefer using a safety pin and pinning it to their pant leg, but in my experience, using a project board is a lot more stable!

Knotting: Take the long piece and fold it in half. Loop it over the back side of your base loop.

To make your first knot, take the left side of the long strand. Cross it over the top of your base strand, then underneath the right side of your long strand.

Next, take the right side of the long strand. Tuck it underneath the base strand, then pull it up through the loop created in the previous step.

Pull both sides up slowly and evenly, and you'll have your first square knot!

Now, do the same thing starting on the right side. Cross the right side piece of the long strand over the base strand and under the left side long piece.

Then take the left side piece and slip under the base strand, then up through the loop.

Pull evenly on both sides.

And you have square knot number two!

Continue Knotting: Keep alternating knots left and right all the way down your bracelet. This will keep your design laying flat. Knotting from only one side will make your hemp spiral - which is a cool design, but not what we're doing in this DIY! This is my bracelet after ten knots:

If you just want a plain bracelet, continue knotting until you reach the end of your cord, then skip to the 'Finishing Off' step. However, if you want to decorate... Add Beads: Since hemp is pretty thick stuff, make sure your beads have large holes. I used wood beads, which are easy to carve out the centres and make bigger holes if need be. To add them to your bracelet, just take a bead and slide it onto the base strand.

Pull it so it is snug underneath your last knot.

Then continue knotting around the beads. Be careful not to pull your first post-bead knot too tight, or the bracelet will scrunch up. If this happens, just go back and loosen it.

Finishing Off: When you reach the end of your bracelet, tie all four strings into a knot. Make sure this knot will fit through the loop you made at the top. I double knotted mine to make it extra secure.

Pull the knot through the loop to fasten your bracelet

You're Done! Wear it and show it off!

By monket

Recipes

Easter Cupcakes!

Follow this simple recipe to have gorgeous cupcakes for Easter. Makes 12.

What you'll need for the cake: 115g/4 oz butter, softened, or soft margarine. 115g/4 oz caster sugar. 2 eggs, lightly beaten. 85g/3 oz self-raising flour. 25g/1 oz cocoa powder. 36 Mini Eggs, to decorate. What you'll need for the butter cream: 85g/3 oz unsalted butter, softened. 175g/6 oz icing sugar. 1 tbsp milk. A few drops of vanilla extract. Now to bake!

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Put 12 paper cases in a bun tray.

Place the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sift the flour and cocoa powder and, using a metal spoon, fold into the mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

To make the butter cream, put the butter in a bowl and beat until fluffy. Sift it in the icing sugar and beat together until well mixed, adding the milk and vanilla extract.

Spoon the butter cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe a circle of butter cream on top of each cupcake to form a nest. Place 3 Mini Eggs in the centre of each nest to decorate.

And voila, you're done! Recipe taken from The Cupcake, Cupcake Book by Love Food. Picture taken from the book.

Cheese Straws!

Follow this simple recipe for some yummy cheese straws for Spring parties! Makes 24.

Ingredients: 115g/4 oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting. Pinch of salt. 1 tbp curry powder. 55g/2 oz butter, plus extra for greasing. 55g/2 oz grated Cheddar cheese. 1 egg, beaten. Poppy and cumin seeds, for sprinkling. Now to bake!

Sift flour, salt and curry powder into a bowl. Add the butter and rub it until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the cheese and half the egg and mix to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Lightly grease several baking sheets. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to 5-mm/1/4-inch thick. Cut into 7.5 x 1cm/3x 1/2-inch strips. Pinch the strips lightly along the sides and place on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the straws with the remaining egg and sprinkle half with poppy seeds and half with cumin seeds. Bake in a preheated oven, 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6, for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

And voila, you're done! Recipe taken from Baking 100 Everyday Recipes by Love Food. Picture link. By Field of Paper Flowers

What did you do for SIAD?

BigMike'For SIAD i publicly announced to my friends and family on Facebook that I’m a recovering self harmer. I also changed my profile picture on Facebook to an orange ribbon with 'self harm awareness' written on it. As for wearing something orange i had on my orange self harm awareness wristbands.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zedebee'I borrowed an orange hoody from my dad as I own nothing orange, oddly enough. Also requested my local radio station to give a shout out about it and posted some facts for other listeners to read.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GlitterTrashDoll'I wore my awareness bracelet and painted my nails orange and did some orange eye makeup as I have nothing orange to wear!'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stacie'I posted a status on Facebook and found an orange bracelet to wear because I have nothing else that's orange.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Creative Writing

Springtime’s Toy Planet Little Springtime is standing at the door of Season’s Cottage, fidgety and shifting her weight from foot to foot. She knows Winter’s Child will be home soon, and that means it will be her turn to play. She’s been watching out the window at Winter’s games. Gazing on as he dusted the world with icing sugar, grabbed hold of the night sky blanket and joyfully pulled it over the northern hemisphere earlier and earlier every night; wrapping it up like the presents there were soon to arrive at the end of other children’s beds. She watched as he worked hard to push away the clouds, creating mornings with a crispness that makes it seem like the entire world has stopped moving, except for you. Autumn was sat at the table, wisely watching her younger siblings. Spring was the youngest; her youthful energy and exuberance that never dulled were perfect for tirelessly tending to so many beginnings. Winter was next, his robust nature and stubbornness ideal for fighting through the cold and toiling to bring about the magical transformations that you would only believe possible in dreams. Second oldest was Summer’s Lad, a jovial chap and a very laid back boy who was happy to watch the world pass by him, but who was not shy of hard work; he was everyone’s best friend. Then came Autumn, the oldest and wisest of the children. This was a necessary trait; the knowledge needed to bring about such changes as her season required was vast. To know that sometimes you have to take a few steps back to go forward, to know that Endings can be as beautiful as Beginnings, and to get the timings just right so that the little animals could prepare for her youngest brother’s visit. She also helped look after and co-ordinate the other children; reassuring them that yes, they were doing just fine, and yes, it would be their turn soon.

The children had plentiful toys and books and paint and instruments, they had everything they could ever want in their little oak house. However, each knew that their most prized toy was the world outside of their little home. They never squabbled, the children, not even over this cherished possession (though they knew it wasn’t really theirs). They all knew that no matter how long they had to wait, their turn would come again soon. Furthermore it was fun to look out the window and watch your brother or sister having the best fun of their lives, and knowing before long you would be able to, too. Whenever one of the children would come home for the final time that season, the other children would clap and cheer with genuine pride. Their little star had performed on the world stage to a standing ovation. “He’s home, he’s home!” little Springtime cried. Summer and Autumn joined their sister standing by the door, and clapped the returning warrior as the door creaked open, for all his hard work and efforts. The grin on his face stretched from ear to ear as he took multiple bows. “Well done, little brother” Summer said, clapping the other boy on the back. “Oh bravo, bravo!” cried Spring, who had been watching Winter’s turn avidly. He positively glowed under this praise, but his eyes sought Autumn’s for approval. She simply said: “Well done, darling” and pulled him into a hug that he melted into. When all the celebrations were over, Winter turned to Springtime, who had been waiting patiently and with joy at her brother’s triumphant return. He took both her hands in his and looked her straight in the eye. “It’s your turn now, girly” he said, and she stifled a squeal of delight, one customary of little girls. Spring looked up at Autumn with excited eyes and an innocent smile. Autumn bent down and kissed the crown of her head. “Have fun, little one” she said. And one more smiling look around her brother’s and sister’s faces, she flew out the door on wings of joy.

By [purple_rain]

Book Review

‘Picoult's impressive research into wolf biology, hierarchy and pack mentality ultimately forms a plausible and highly informative story. This is a heartbreaking story told in engaging prose.' Lone Wolf is the story of a family brought back together through a terrible accident. When Luke Warren is bringing his teenage daughter, Cara, home from a party, the two of them crash, leaving Cara with a broken shoulder and Luke in a coma. Luke's ex-wife, who has remarried and has a new young family, calls their eldest child, son Edward who has been abroad and estranged for six years and he returns home. There are, as always with Picoult's novels, many strands running through the novel and the story is told from several characters' perspectives. Luke Warren is a man obsessed with wolves and the study of their lifestyle - to the extent that he left his family and lived wild with a wolf pack in the remote Canadian forests for two years. It was a fascinating insight into the lives of wolves and the level of research is impressive alongside the detail of the court case and medical references. The parallels between wolf behaviour and human behaviour are interesting too. I have long been a fan of Jodi Picoult and I wasn't disappointed in this book. The story hooks you in, wanting to know about Luke's experiences in the wild with the wolves; wanting to know why Edward argued with his father and left his family; and wanting to know what Cara is hiding about the car accident. Having the chapters told by various characters adds to the story's dimension - exploring different viewpoints and emotions. By Louise

Film Review Fish Tank. 'Fish Tank' Trailer HD - YouTube

Fish Tank is a British drama which came out in 2009, staring the rising actor Michael Fassbender as well as Katie Jarvis and Kierston Wareing. The film is about Mia, a fifteen year old girl who lives with her mother and sister Tyler on an Essex estate. She spends her days doing what she loves; dancing due to being kicked out of school, although is to be sent to a referrals unit. After her mother starts dating Irish man Connor, Mia and him begin an uneasy friendship. However, he encourages her to pursue in her passion for dancing. What will happen to Mia and her dreams? I watched this film the beginning of February after deciding I wanted to watch more of Michael Fassbender’s films and plus being a huge fan of British Cinema. It did not disappoint and due to the film’s title, you don't know what to expect unless you watch the trailer or read a review (so hopefully this helps! XD) The film is powerful, real and shows what the youth of today can go through. The message behind the film shows that even when things are tough, life goes on and you have to do what makes you feel good to be happy. In this case Mia, the lead of the film has a passion for dancing, but would not have done anything about it if it wasn't for Connor encouraging her to. As well as this the film also shows how tough young love can be and how as we get older we learn more about the world around us. If you're a fan of British Cinema or British Drama I advise you to give this film a go and I especially advise you to if you like Michael Fassbender like I do. Everyone who watches this film will understand one of the hidden messages lurking in there. By Field of Paper Flowers

Games Review The Sims 3, ShowTime expansion pack.

The brand new ShowTime expansion pack gives the player the ability to try their hands at the arts, they will have the chance to become famous by becoming singers, acrobats, magicians and DJs. As you work your way up the ShowTime ladder you'll be able to join up with your friends and join their venues and gigs. Before you can do gigs and the such you'll have to start at the bottom by doing small street plays and busking type gigs, the better you get and more time you put into it the bigger the gigs will become. There are quite a few new features in the expansion pack, some of which allow you to be more social with friends, you can now chat with friends, post to their walls, give status updates, and create friends lists, which makes it a very social game to be playing. Another cool new feature is the ability to be able to send your Sims to a friend’s gig/show so you can play in their world/gigs etc and they can send theirs over to your world. You can now create your very own area/stage to your own design, you can build your very own concert hall or even an indie club, but be warned how the stage is built will influence your Sim’s performance and career progression. The graphics are everything you would expect from a Sims game, nothing to write home about but you don't really play the game for the graphics, so sure you won't worry too much about that. This expansion pack will add something new to The Sims 3 but is it really needed? With there already being 5 expansion packs out there are more really needed? I suppose only time will be able to answer that question. I would say only buy this pack if you need to refresh the slightly older game that is The Sims 3, it will certainly bring something new and entertaining to the series. There will also be a Katy Perry special edition pack which will include extra content from her California dreams tour such as, fashions, a guitar, a hairstyle and various props for use on stage plus an exclusive Katy Perry poster. So if you're a fan of Katy Perry I would suggest maybe getting that one.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds is a strategy puzzle mobile game which sees the player firing wingless birds using a slingshot at pigs on or in structures. You must destroy all the pigs to progress to the next level and earn points to beat your own high score. As players advance through the game more wingless birds become available, each new bird will come with its own special ability, ability’s such as flying faster and doing more damage to the structures etc. With there being many levels it's a game that will keep you entertained for many hours, it's great for long trips or just to pass the time on your lunch. With it being at a great price it's a must for anyone that wants to kill some spare time. Cost. Apple App store-£0.69 Android App store-Free Play online athttp://www.ezzal.com/physics-games/p...y-birds-online

Draw Something

Draw Something is one of the new things to have hit iPhones and androids alike this month with pretty much anyone I know owning either of these playing it, or asking me to play it. I had heard about this game from two of my friends who were spamming my Facebook news feed with random rants of, "Wow that was a pretty good drawing!" to, "What the hell how did you not know what that was!?" So I finally bit the bullet and had a go myself and I haven't looked back. This game is free and for that it's amazing already in my book. Basically you get given something to draw a picture of and the person you're playing against must guess it. Which word you chose is dependent on how many coins you and your friend earn which go towards more paintbrush colours and bombs (which are used to help you guess what the picture is of). As well as being lots of fun it is also an amazing distraction due to how much you need to concentrate to show to your friends through drawing what they need to guess and needing to guess what they have drawn. It's available on the iTunes and Android shops now and FOR FREE! Play it and have fun and if you want a game with me, drop me a PM and I'll send you my username on there. =) Picture from source

By Bigmike and Field of Paper Flowers

Music Review Justin Furstenfeld - The voice of Blue October

Date - Wednesday 7th March 2012 Venue - Manchester Academy 3 The gig was a rather intimate one, not much more than a hundred people. The opening act Tori Vasquez - was a beautiful and talented singer, who was welcomed warmly by the crowd. However, most people were eagerly waiting for Justin to arrive. A loud roar pulsed through the room as he entered the stage and began to sing. It felt like we all just...belonged. The vibe throughout was friendly and warm and, despite not knowing them, it felt like I was amongst friends, enjoying such beautiful music together. The music was brilliant; Justin's voice was as amazing as ever, Ryan's violin was mesmerising. What made the evening even better was Justin's interaction with the crowd; in between songs there was light banter that resulted in many a laugh. Overall the gig was a complete success; everybody left with such a positive rush from the show. I, personally, am so pleased to have been part of that experience as Justin is such an inspiration to me. Suffering with mental illness, divorce, having his daughter taken away, he still fights on and tries to spread such a positive attitude to his fans. Through his lyrics he expresses his pains and difficulties in such a way that it speaks to his listeners, giving them hope, something to relate to, and generally really enjoyable music. In the words of Justin Furstenfeld, “Be strong, don’t you give up hope, it will get hard, life’s like a jump rope”.

By Zedebee

Inspirational person of the month Lady Gaga

Stefani Germanotta, otherwise known as Lady Gaga, is an inspirational person to many people around the world, for various reasons. The first one being her passion for equal rights, most famous being gay marriage and her mission for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. She is considered by many for being a Gay Icon. In 2010, Lady Gaga attended the MTV Video Music Awards accompanied by four service members of the United States Armed Forces, all of whom, under the United States military's "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy, had been prohibited from serving openly because of their sexuality. Lady Gaga released four videos asking Americans to call their senate to overturn the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. In late September 2010 she spoke at the Service members Legal Defence Network's "4the14K" Rally in Deering Oaks Park in Portland, Maine. The name of the rally signified the number – an estimated 14,000 – of service members discharged under the DADT policy at the time. During her remarks, she urged members of the U.S. Senate to vote in favour of legislation that would repeal the DADT policy. Following this event, editors of The Advocate commented that she had become "the real fierce advocate" for gays and lesbians, one that Barack Obama had promised to be. Lady Gaga also appeared at Europride, a pan-European international event dedicated to LGBT pride, held in Rome in June 2011. In a nearly twenty-minute speech, she criticized the intolerant state of gay rights in many European countries and described homosexuals as "revolutionaries of love" Last year Lady Gaga joined forces with Cyndi Lauper and MAC Cosmetics where they launched their own lipstick line, named Viva Glam. All the proceeds from the lipsticks went to the company's campaign to prevent HIV and AIDS Worldwide. In a press release about

the lipstick line, Lady Gaga said that ""I don't want Viva Glam to be just a lipstick you buy to help a cause. I want it to be a reminder when you go out at night to put a condom in your purse right next to your lipstick". This month saw Lady Gaga launch her own charity alongside her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, named the Born This Way Foundation, which is a non-profit foundation which focuses on youth empowerment and issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring, and career development. When talking about the foundation, Lady Gaga said that "Together we hope to establish a standard of Bravery and Kindness, as well as a community worldwide that protects and nurtures others in the face of bullying and abandonment." By GlitterTrashDoll

Signature of the month Every month we look around the RYL forums in search of our favourite signature. This month’s Signature of the Month belongs to..

Annabelle! (Shine.)

The reason this lovely signature was picked as our Signature of the Month is because we love the positive message! We think it's a great saying to live by - and it's always a good thing when you express your individuality and live how you want rather than how society wants you to live! If you want to be in with a chance of being next month’s Signature of the Month, then get creative! Remember, it doesn't need to be busy and full of colour to win. It can win because it's funny, inspiring, creative, or just shows off your personality! Remember as well, when it comes to signatures, they also help other members remember who you are because they remember a phrase or a picture in your signature! Have fun getting creative! By GlitterTrashDoll

Our month in photos

By Field of Paper Flowers

This month last year

It’s amazing how much things can change in a year without you even realising how much things change and how much you as a person change. Around this time last year I was preparing to move house for the second or third time in a year, this time because stuff had happened with my ex that ended up with me being too afraid to leave my house. I think in that aspect I’ve changed so much. Although I’ve moved again since then to live with my fiancé, I’m not afraid of going out anymore. I used to be a bit of an unsociable person and just stay in my room gaming all the time or watching TV or films all day and not see or speak to anyone unless I had to. Although I still do it a lot of the time, I see people more often now, maybe that’s to do with living where all my friends are now and the fact I’ve made more friends since I moved back to Devon. I wasn’t the happiest of people at that time either, I remember spending a lot of time feeling depressed and suicidal, I still feel like it sometimes even now but not as much, I know what I can do to make the feelings leave for a bit and I do what I can to try and keep my mood up most of the time. I know that I’m a lot happier in myself than I was this time last year and I know that I’ve changed so much, most of it for the better. Most of these things have happened without me even noticing at the time and people tell me all the time how much I’ve changed. Have a think about how things have changed for you, you might be surprised.

By Stacie

Moving forward highlights

Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer. - Denis Waitley Hello, welcome to March’s Moving Forward Highlights. As we all know, Self Injury Awareness Day has just been and gone and I’m sure lots of you have done something for it, it would be good to hear what you’ve all done for it. Making the decision to start to recover is an amazing thing to do and although it can sometimes be a hard journey, it’s worth it in the end when you’re finally free of it. There are lots of things out there to help you to recover from distractions to getting help from professionals. I’ve been free for two years now and I hope you don’t mind if I share with you some of the things that have helped me. I always make sure that I have someone to talk to when I’m feeling triggered. I only really talk to my best friend and fiancé but they’re both so good and just listen rather than talk. I never thought that talking to someone about things would be much help but I was surprised at how much better you feel after having a chat with someone. Another thing that helped was distracting me. Whether it’s going for a walk or listening to music or whatever just make sure that it’s something you enjoy doing. I find it helps so much towards feeling better. I usually look for funny things on the internet or if I have the stuff about, I’ll do some art and craft or try a new recipe. I think anything where you use your hands or something that makes you laugh always helps.

One more thing that helped was what I call playing the waiting game. This is where you tell yourself you can’t cut or burn or however you harm for another five minutes. Keep doing it every five minutes and eventually the urges will die down a bit. I’m not entirely sure why this works, maybe it’s because it’s giving you time to actually think about what you’re about to do to yourself. I hope this helps you all, I’m sure we’d love to hear your ideas and distractions to help keep you safe. Congratulations to       

Living4adream who has been free for 2 years drist who has been free for 4 years when.will.it.end who has been free for 4 years GlitterTrashDoll who has been free for 3 years Laurakins who has been free for 6 months ScarletThorn who has been free for 6 months Mat who has been free for 2 months

Also, congratulations to everyone else who's been free, however long it's been. Keep fighting :) By Stacie

Random facts

Random fact number 1- Hippo milk is pink. Random fact 2- Your thumb is about the same size as your nose. Random fact 3-Slugs have 4 noses. Random fact 4-The average person spends three years of his or her life on a toilet. Random fact 5-Soldiers from every country salute with their right hand. Random fact 6-The average person will walk the equivalent of five times around the equator during their lifetime. Random fact 7- On average more people fear spiders than they do death. Random fact 8-Cows can walk upstairs, but not down them. A beaut of an example was in Ancient Rome, when a cow reportedly ran up a tenement block, but could not get down again. In the end they had to push it off the roof. Random fact 9-The king of hearts is the only king in a pack of playing cards without a moustache. Random fact 10-and one for the Brits: The UK consumes more tea per person than any other country in the world (twenty times more than the average US citizen). By Bigmike and DrWatson

Jokes

Why Did the Cowboy ride his horse? Because he was too heavy to carry.

What's red and sits in the corner? A Naughty Strawberry.

A teacher asked, "If I have five mangoes in one hand, and five mangoes in the other. What do I have?" "Big Hands" replied the student.

A man walked in to a bar and said ouch.

“Glen, why do you always get so dirty?� Asked the teacher. Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are. He replied.

A couple is sitting on the porch sipping wine. The wife says, "I love you." The husband says, "Is that you or the wine talking?"

The wife replies, "It's me, talking to the wine."

Why did the football coach go to the bank? To get his quarter back.

What did the tired chess player do? He took the knight off

Sam: Dad, would you do my math homework for me? Dad: No, son, it wouldn’t be right. Sam: Well, at least you could try.

Little Amy confided to her uncle, “When I grow up I’m going to marry the boy next door.” “Why is that?” “Cause I’m not allowed to cross the road.” By GlitterTrashDoll

Lolcats

By Monket and Buttons.

Puzzles Why not sit back and relax and do some of our distractions to keep you occupied? Have fun!

You have 10 Easter related words to find!



Basket, Bunny Chicks Chocolate Cupcake Easter Egg Holiday Hunt Spring

Try the Egg Shaped Maze! Can you find the way out?

Cryptic UK Towns (PM Zedebee for answers) 1. OLD CAR 2. MALE MEADOW 3. MOTHERS GARDEN ENTRANCE 4. EMPLOYED WEIGHT 5. DIRTY WATER 6. RACING DRIVER MOSS 7. JAM MAKERS GO SWIMMING 8. ADVERTISE DRY GRAPE 9. CLIFF JUMPERS ARE HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING PARTNERS 10. STUDENT LOAN FOR OVER ACTING 11. A TUB FULL OF WATER 12. KEEP AND SELL FORTIFIED WINE 13. NEEDED FOR A NEW DOOR 14. OPPOSITE OF DULL OFF 15. BINGS TOWN

16. A PERSON WHO IS LEAVING 17. COMPLETE BACON 18. MR. PITT'S CAR 19. SHAKESPEAR'S TAME ONE HAS A BLACK FRUIT 20 . SEATED WHEN YOUR LIFE BEGAN 21. WITCHES MEET TO ATTEMPT 22. PEOPLE'S ROCK 23. SISTER WAS CANNIBALISED 24. SCHUMAKER DRIVES THIS COLOURFUL THING Or do you have a good eye for detail? Five changes have been made to the picture below. Can you spot them all?

By GlitterTrashDoll and Ampelmann

Gathering the threads As you can see the eZine is back and better than ever! Being a member of the team and having left RYL for about two years I came back to see the eZine had seemed to vanish from RYL, which I was saddened by so as soon as I was able to, I decided to work with the past members we all know and love so well to bring back a bigger and better eZine! Advertising and picking the new members of the eZine was so lovely to do and so far they have shown how great we are going to making the eZine for you all to read every month. They've all been working their little fingers on their keyboards to ensure you have a great issue this month and there are no regrets of who we got on the team. Also since starting the eZine up again I have moved from being a member of the eZine to joint head of the eZine with Zed. I'm so proud to get this responsibility as writing isn't just my passion, it's what I want to do for a living. I can't wait to keep working with the new team and my fellow joint head of the eZine to bring you guys the best we can! Keep reading and stay strong.

Nat - Field Of Paper Flowers.

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