Holiday Fun Time

Every Christmas, for some reason, my family always puts up the tree closer and closer to Christmas. Since I've gone away to college, my mom wants me to be there for the annual tradition of hanging our ornaments, some that we have been using for years, onto our pre-lit tree (which is so much easier than trying to string regular lights around it).  Finals week usually lasts until the 17th or 18th of December, so you can see how close that is.

Of course, that means my mother is in full out decoration mode, which can be a little scary at times.  The entire house is transformed.  Entire containers out in the shed hold every little knickknack that is used, from garland to stockings and figurines.  

While the spirit of the holidays is obviously everywhere, one thing I really can't stand is the local radio stations choice of music.  I love radio stations most of the time, because of the eclectic array of songs, from the 70s onward, you can hear at different times of day.  But right after Thanksgiving, they start playing their Christmas songs.  

For a little while, I sing right along with them, until you hear about ten different versions of Silent Night.  At that point, I wanted to throw something at the DJs who were choosing to play those songs.  Why can't they choose one version of the song to play?  It is really that hard for them?  

Not to mention all the different singers who come out with their own Christmas songs.  I heard Celine Dion, N*Sync, Britney Spears, and The Beach Boys.  I'm not going to lie when I say that at points, I have liked some of the aforementioned (I actually do like The Beach Boys song.  It's really catchy).  I just hate listening to the classical gospel songs and then hearing a normal Christmas song, and then hearing one of those.  It gets to a person after awhile.  I get it.  Christmas is here.

With that in mind, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (or Chanukkah, whichever you celebrate, or nothing, if you don't)!  Sorry I don't post as much, it's just hard to think of things to write.  

Life

A couple of days ago, I visited, once again, one of my favorite movie sites I've discovered so far.  I've proclaimed numerous times about my fascination with the site and how much I respect and admire the writers behind the reviews and other articles.

Well, I was looking through their articles after not going there for a while (and boy, was there a lot of articles to look at) and I noticed one named PICTORIAL: Life's insight into geek movie history, which for some reason I passed by at first.  When I finally looked at it, I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.

"On the 18th November Google announced that it had secured an agreement to make available online about 10 million photos from the Life magazine archive. It's a collection of staggering breadth and depth, dating back in certain p arts to the 18th century, and comfortably covering the entire history not only of cinema but of photography."

Then below, many photos were available to look at.  It was mesmerizing really.  The photos were amazing and behind the scenes shots for some of the most celebrated movies out there could be seen.

If you want to try it out for yourself, type in a word (be it a movie, director, actor, etc.) and then after it type "source:life".  You'll like what you see.

Tattoo Excursion

Last Friday, I did something that is usually out of character for me.  It was all my friends' faults really, because I wouldn't have done it if they had stopped nagging me about it.  After they told me they'd pay for it, I was totally willing.  So I went ahead and I did it.  I got a tattoo.

Now there are those people out there who are really against tattoos.  When I was looking for an idea, I remembered seeing a comment by someone saying that "all tattoos on women are trashy," which is completely ridiculous in my opinion.  It's a simple way of expressing oneself.  My sister has a bunch of tattoos, as well as one of my best friends, and neither of them appear trashy at all.  

For one brief moment of my life, I didn't care what anyone else thought.  I, with the help of my sister mostly, picked out something that would be cool.  I wanted words, even though  I wasn't sure what they were.  I found so many, but then I was reminded that it had to be short in order to be less money.  After much brain raking, I finally settled on three little words, Burn to Shine, a song by Ben Lee (and Ben Harper, too, but I didn't refer to that one).  

Everyone always asks me what they mean, and I always have to tell them.  It's kind of annoying because I didn't think they were that hard to understand.   I wanted to have some kind of inspiration on me, sort of like a reference point to when I'm feeling down.  I figure that you need to be burned in order to shine, so even on my worst days, I will know that everything will turn out fine.  

So that's my explanation, to all those that care.  Now, if anyone asks, I will just tell them to go online.

Lexulous...the end of a Scrabble clone?

My sister and I love to play scrabble.  It's so much fun, and even though I'm not the most amazing at it (she always beats me!), it gives us something to do.  It's really hard to do that with someone who's all the way across the country and three hours behind.  

We always played through the site Scrabulous, which eventually became named Lexulous after Scrabble brought up a lawsuit, which was fine.  It had the same layout, the same number of letters, and the same point values.  But then, a few days ago, we went onto the website just like normal, only it had been awhile since I've been so busy.  

It was totally normal.  I logged in, I went to our favorite room (Tiles Lagoon), and then I waited for her to make a room.  But then, as I looked at the screen, my eyes started freaking out.  Everything was different!  The layout of the triple letters, triple words, double letters, and double words was made to resemble some sort of pretty pattern.  The letters were worth more than they previously were, and we received eight letters instead of seven!  I had no idea what was going on.

I just thought to myself, Ok, just play like usual.  I can totally kick her butt this time.  But after time went on, I realized I was losing.  By an enormous amount.  There was a 200 point gap between our scores!  Why was this happening?  

Because she managed to get both a triple word AND a double word at the same time!   How on earth is anyone supposed to compete with that?  There was no way I was winning the game.  

So today, we attempted again.  And of course, the first letter she put down earned her 65 points! 65!  I get happy when I get above thirteen for a word, and right away, she was killing me.

One day I will beat her.  I don't know when.  I don't know how.  But I'm going to, and it will be at a time she will least expect.

Finally, a new post! :)

So after a grueling weekend full of three papers, I am finally done with my fall semester.  It was fun while it lasted and I'm going to be sad to let it go.  I think it has been one of my favorites so far.  Not that any of the others will be less amazing, but for once I discovered things about myself.

Number one, next time my brain decides to think about a fantastic journey to take an upper level English class for no reason, I am going to fight back and say no.  I didn't expect the amount of reading that came along with it.  I had to read for my Intro to Journalism class every Monday and Wednesday, besides reading entire halves of books, and blogging, and writing, and after awhile, it really started taking a toll on me.  I made really good friends in that class though, so I guess in the end, it wasn't that bad.

Number two, I am good at some things.  I always considered myself average.  I always have, it's who I am.  I have never gotten an A in a science class.  I've always gotten a B.  Have I ever sat there questioning why I wasn't an A student? Of course not.  That would be silly, because I know, science is just one of those things that isn't me at all.  I don't understand it half the time.  Same goes with math.  Except statistics.  Somehow, I managed to get an A in that class, but that was mostly because of the small number of students (there were six of us) and the leniency of the professor (seriously, we painted a chart on the wall for extra credit).  But somehow, when I started blogging and writing (in both journalism classes, and my English class, too), I started to feel good about it.  I hope it will lead me somewhere. If not, at least I enjoyed it.

Number three, cinema is good in small doses.  I love movies, obviously.  I have for awhile now, but studying film is a lengthy process.  It was good to have a film class just once a week so I managed to get a taste of it besides the extra work of everything else.  This class required no homework or papers, and none of the four tests were cumulative.  How awesome is that?

Number four, I love learning from classes!  My globalization class taught me so much about our world and our culture that I am starting to tell people about it.  I mean, how crazy is it that corporations are ruling our world?  Is that right at all? They could possibly be the reason for global warming too.  Think about all the delivery trucks that go everywhere full of goods, and the airplanes and the ships, too.  It's insane.  And it scares me.

Number five, I procrastinate way too much. I learned this a lot about myself this semester, not that I didn't know this beforehand. I have done this in high school, too.  I think it might be human nature or something.  My friends kind of look at me funny when I do it, but I really haven't changed that much.  I've just been very lucky with time frames.  One of these days it's going to bite me in the butt, but I'm not worried just yet.

Now I'm going to relax and do nothing.  At all.  Because now that I'm all done with these papers, I feel this incredible wave of relief.  And it feels good.  I hope that I'll want to spend more time on this, because, as you can see, I've been neglecting it, save a few posts from class.  But now that class is over, and I'm going to have to depend on just me from now on..once again.  

Internet Sites

Over the break, my journalism class was instructed to look at several different websites and read them...and then write about it on the blog.  Of course, all these websites have to deal with the future of the media world, and writing on a blog surely shows that the world of the media is definitely going in a new direction.

Every single one of these sites has their own different stance about this issue.  In my other journalism class, I learned pretty much the same thing (I even had to watch one of the same videos, believe it or not).  Some people are definitely all for the internet and what it has to offer, such as the GoogleTechTalks video on youtube.com, and some are definitely questioning it, such as Jimmy Leach in Here to Stay. 

For one thing, I am definitely all for the internet revolution, especially since life without the internet would be totally pointless (and somewhat horrifying, also).  How else am I supposed to listen to music, play games, and work on a paper all at the same time?  It's impossible.

But so many people are so strongly against it, saying that it's given more freedom to people who definitely don't deserve it, undermining truthful journalism.  They can write what they want and destroy someone, like a politician or celebrity in less than 24 hours.

However, what about all the good it offers?  Paul Colligan highlighted everything that new technology gives to people.  Cheaper television, books, and music are all on the rise (rather, they are here right now).  

So yes, sometimes the internet seems like just "noise" as Leach stated, with mindless people spewing horrific things everywhere, but at the same time, it's definitely a step forward in our world.  Information is given to us at such a faster rate, and many credible sites for journalists are out there.  

While most of the articles online showed the future of the trade in relation with the internet, one definitely scared me.  The Chauncey Bailey Project showed how a journalist, namely Chauncey Bailey was killed after doing a story.  A ton of other journalists came together to help finish his story.

Now I'm really considering straying into another field of study.

Lazy Days Off

It seems that in the last day and a half, amazing, awful things have been happening to me.  Last night I found out that Phantom Planet (known mostly for their theme song on the OC), my favorite band, whose concert in New Haven, Connecticut was my first ever, is breaking up.  Or rather, going on an "indefinite hiatus".  Like my sister said, I hope they pull a 7th heaven.

Of course, today I also found out about a hold on my college account because I forgot to pay the $4,000 and so dollars I owe them.  Which is usually paid for by loans, but stupid me forgot to apply for another loan for this year.  

However, the day hasn't been so bad.  I've managed to play hours (and literally, hours) of Singstar on the Playstation with my little sister and my best friend Carrie.  I've eaten food I haven't tasted in three months.  Spaghetti just tastes so much better here.  As weird as this sounds, I also got to hang out with my cat.  I don't know about any other pet lovers out there, but leaving my cat for three months is a really hard task.  Who else would come sleep in the nook of my bent legs in the middle of the night?  Nothing at school would do that, let me tell you.

In other news, my cell phone completely dried out, saving me $60 and making me eternally grateful for all these gadgets I own.  I do evil, evil things to them, yet they remain alive, for some weird reason.

Now, I get to wake up and watch the Macy's Day Parade (which I inevitably will get bored of halfway through and do something else).  I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and eat well!

Water and Phones...Not a Good Mix

I am not always the smartest person.  You can ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you just that.  But usually, the things that I'm stupid at are small, insignificant things, like getting sayings wrong (I've said "flipping over a new leaf" instead of "turning over a new leaf" before).  However, there are those other occurrences that happen to get in my way.  

There was last year for instance, when I accidentally spilled Yoo-Hoo all over the front of my laptop.  Nothing was broken permanently, but I had to go quite a while without any Rs in my words.  You have no idea how hard it is to have a conversation without that letter.

Today, I washed my laundry.  I was so happy because I finally did it before it was way too late, but, when I approached the machine, I saw something I really wished I hadn't.  I had thrown my sweatshirt in at the last minute without a care in the world.  But, my phone, unbeknownst to me, was in the pocket.

It was one of those moments that I had to slap myself on the head, mostly because if i had just felt through my pocket, it wouldn't have happened.  So now, I get to wait through the night, hoping that my phone will dry itself out.  Which it should, because it still turns on.  And lets me text.  It just won't let me call anyone.

Math Sucks...

When I came to college, there were at least three things I was excited about; getting out on my own, meeting new people, and never having to take a math class again.  When I was in high school, I managed to get the credits necessary to fill that gen ed requirement.  

I kept telling myself that I needed to find a job that wouldn't take a toll on me with the whole math thing.  I was never amazing at it, but I always passed.  However, in class yesterday, I was forced to take a math test because even though journalism sounds like math shouldn't be necessary, it is.  I was happy because I got everything right (after a whole year of no math whatsoever, I felt awesome).  We were then instructed to go to the website and try to take the entire test.  Needless to say, my elatedness about doing so well quickly was penetrated after I got a grand total of 5.  Out of 13. Now I must go and brush up on my skills or I will be...(how do I say this?) screwed.

Plays and Hiatuses

For once in the past two weeks, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief (small, yet definable) to actually write on this thing.  I've been constricted with papers, tests, and the like, leaving me with very little time to do anything but.  The thought of trying to write anything worth reading for this made my head want to explode, literally.

I'm not going to pretend I didn't slack off however, during this time of no postings, but usually it had something to do with mindless games, music, or food.  All of which are things that require no activity whatsoever in  my brain.

I did want to say something about a play I managed to see last week for my English class.  Anna in the Tropics, set in the 1920s at a Spanish cigar factory in Tampa, Florida, was played at the Capital Repertory theater in downtown Albany last Wednesday.  

In the beginning of the semester, when my professor proclaimed his interest to the class, everyone agreed.  He then proceeded to count said people who wanted to go.  At least 20 hands were recognizable.  However, when I walked into the doors of the small, cozy, theater, only four other students were sitting there ready to watch the play.  One of those four wasn't even from our class, but instead someone who was accompanying another.

Throughout the entire performance, I was very pleased.  The story was just so much more magnificent in person rather than on pages in front of me.  I walked out happy.

The actors, while some weren't what I expected (like the man who played Juan Julian.  He was supposed to be sexy and debonair, but instead reminded me of Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat) but emotions were intensified as affairs, arguments, and cigars rolled on by.

I would definitely recommend the play by Nilo Cruz.  It won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003, which has to mean something.  I don't know how good each performance of it however, in different venues would be.

When we finally started talking about it in class, we realized how bad it actually was.  Some costumes, props, and characters were done completely wrong.  A classmate remarked about how a picture that was supposed to be Juan Julian was in fact a baby photo.

It was still enjoyable, though.  I'm not a very good critic when it comes to plays, mostly because I love the atmosphere too much.  

Probate Court

I've always heard grand stories, either on television or in books, of people gaining huge inheritances and sums of money after a relative died.  It all sounded so easy.  Someone croaks and gives something super valuable to someone they cared deeply about.  In those stories, there was usually some person who had been unknown to the family, like a mistress or a hidden friend.  

However, I was never aware of the annoying process that goes into wills, mostly because, at my age, there is definitely no need to have one.  I don't own anything halfway decent enough to be passed along and even if there were, I wouldn't know who to give it to.

We were assigned to blog about probate court, which, though it sounds completely boring, can be really important later on in life.  First off, probate sounded completely foreign to me when I started looking this up.  I had never even heard of this word before, but it means "legal acceptance that a document, especially a will, is valid." (I should probably cite this, but I don't know how, so I will just tell you where I found it.  The Credo Reference tool on the University at Albany website)

What happens after someone dies usually involves a court, namely, the probate court.  There, administrators and executors hand out the appropriate objects and properties, and the validity of the will is examined.  For those who don't have a will, they try to figure out where everything should go.  There's really not much else to it.  But the question remains, why is this important, at least, for those who aren't dealing with getting anything?

Let's just say someone died who had been highly influential, but at the same time, highly secretive?  Not only is there a listing of assets, but withstanding charges on bills, taxes, and credit cards also came along.  That right there could be an amazing discovery.  You never know if a forgotten relative or a hidden child could be getting something either.  Things could be found out about people that were never known, giving a clearer insight about them.  

Class Assignment

Saw V

Numerous times, I have remarked about my distaste for horror films.  I hate the fact that they scare me for longer than they are supposed to.  I hate the fact that when I am laying in my bed at night, if I hear anything that isn't normal, I freak out.  I cower under my blankets and I usually lose some amount of sleep for the night.  

When I saw The Ring, I was terrified if I heard a TV come on to only white snow, which happened quite frequently after a VHS tape was over (yes, I still use them).  I honestly didn't want a girl coming out of my television.

I even was scared of the hit show Supernatural, which airs on the CW.  The depictions of horror on that show were supposed to be mild, at most.  However, similar to the situation of The Ring, one episode featured Bloody Mary in mirrors.  I'm sorry, but if I ever saw some creeper come out of my mirror, besides the girl coming out of the television, I might just die from fear.

Which is an amazing reason why I am a fan of the Saw franchise.  While they might be lacking in depth (at least according to many critics, while I honestly believe the story goes together quite well.  There is definitely more to it than gore), they get by with clever intertwining elements.  For example, the fourth movie was supposedly happening at the same time of the third.  Many different characters were connected in strange ways, and even though no one deserves death, the victims did something that enabled them to be players of the game.

Saw V definitely delivered mild thrills and gore wasn't the top priority.  The first scene was a little twinge worthy, but the rest of them weren't as bad.  I managed to walk out with few scars and I definitely wasn't terrified through the night.

 Agent Strahm, played by a favorite of mine, Scott Paterson, put together all the clues of Jigsaws infamous ruses, making him the ultimate good guy.  The victims committed acts that you wanted to punch them for, such as the young millionaire's son who freaked out a little too much, which you can see as the plot plays out.  In the end, someone gets framed, someone escapes, and some people die.  Not telling who, though.

If you have seen the other films, this movie, while lukewarm compared to them, will definitely pose as a good sequel.  I am slightly clueless on where they will be going with the next one, though.  Hopefully not to a stupid place.

Are We Really Changing?

This week, when Obama was elected President, I was ecstatic for our country, as was evident by my last blog.  However, the next day, I suddenly realized that as far as this nation has come, there are still so many obstacles that I feel will never be leaped over, such as Proposition 8 over in California.

Now, this is something that doesn't really affect me personally but rights are being taken away from people and that bothers me.  It's just so hard a concept for me to understand why people are so reluctant to let members of the same sex marry.  It's so easy to understand a normal marriage and sometimes they are just as uncomfortable to bare as people are saying same sex marriages are.  

Prop 8 is the amendment in the California constitution that doesn't allow same sex couples to marry and that only a man and woman would be considered a legal marriage.  Not only is this very old fashioned, but it's also very discriminating.  Why should any one person not be considered as much as a citizen as the next?  When divorce rates are growing each and every year, it seems that sometimes same sex couples deserve it more.  Love should be the everlasting bond that connects two people, no matter what gender each of them are.

Some people are scared that their children will grow up and learn that same sex marriages are right.  But as my sister and I discussed this, we both realized that not once did we learn about regular marriage in school, so why would children be learning that?  Aren't we supposed to be teaching children to respect everyone no matter what their religion, race, ethnicity, or beliefs are?

  I have friends that this might affect in the long run and the thought of them not being able to live the same way I can makes me want to run up to uncomfortable conservatives and punch them in the face ( and I'm not a violent person!)

When Barack Obama stood in front of the huge crowd of supporters, I thought people were getting used to change.  I felt that that was what they wanted, especially now.  I've learned though, that people aren't really ready for change.  They just want to feel safe again.  After a devastating war and a terrifying economic crisis, who would blame them?  But when will everyone grow up and accept those who are different?  After hundreds of years battling this sort of ridiculousness, shouldn't it be time for us to unite because of our differences? After all, we pride ourselves on the blend of cultures that are in this country.  

Our new president

As I sit here in my seventh floor room, screams are roaring throughout the quad.  I honestly thought someone was dying near the dining hall when I first heard the sounds.  After those initial screams, someone below us blew an air horn. But, what everyone is screaming about is something so much bigger (well, maybe not someone dying, but you get the picture) than anything else.

For the first time in our nation's history, a black man has been elected into office (biracial to be correct).  Not only is this a significant step in textbooks, it marks the start of change, of something new.  For the first time in my life, my voice counted as something.  It's the weirdest feeling in the world.  Chills go up and down my spine as I know what this means for our nation. Who knows what will come next?

Rocking the Vote

It seems almost unreal that in two days, the election for the next president will take place.  For months now, I have watched debates, learned about the issues (and where I stand), and anticipated the day.  I have seen skits about both candidates (er, well maybe just about McCain and Palin) and I have watched people go crazy about which side they were on.  Needless to say, I hope people actually take the initiative to vote this time, instead of just hoping that the right candidate fills the position.  

I get really angry at the people who always say that their vote doesn't matter.  I've heard it plenty of times, from students in classrooms to adults who've had the same attitude about it their whole lives.  For once in our daily routine, we get to have a say in what's going on.  We live in a democracy, not a fascist regime.  If one person thinks their vote doesn't matter, there sure are going to be a heck of a lot more thinking the same thing.  That's why I love it when celebrities and the like do commercials about it.  I feel a lot more people are going to be willing to vote when someone they admire so highly tells them to.

I have been quite amused about how many companies are providing free things on Election Day.  Ben & Jerry's is giving out free ice cream cones.  Starbucks is giving out free tall cups of coffee.  I plan on going to each coffee franchise I see (I know of four) and getting an amazing flavor of ice cream (last year, on Ben & Jerry's Birthday, they gave out free cones, and they didn't disappoint.  They gave us a normal amount of ice cream, instead of stupid small samples, like Cold Stone did.)  I know it seems crazy that I am dreaming of ice cream right now, given that it's twenty nine degrees out, but if it's free, it's cool.  College kids love free things (Well, ok, I don't know of anyone who frowns upon free things) so when the opportunity arises, we take advantage.  Last year, we had free iced coffee day at Dunkin' Donuts.  I will never forget how happy I was about having that cup placed into my hands without needing to give anything.  

So this year, maybe elections will mean more to everyone.  Our economy is failing, a war is occurring, and people are losing hope.  It seems like a pretty important time to get your voice heard.

Rockefeller's Laws

Each year, tax payers fork over enormous sums of money to New York state.   The reason for this deals with the Rockefeller Drug laws, set into place in 1973.  Today, while the laws have been amended a small amount, they still manage to create a problem. 

When the governor of the State, Nelson Rockefeller, decided to target major drug dealers, he created a law that would send anyone in possession of a certain quantity of drugs to jail, sometimes for years at a time.  However, those who are major dealers are able to lower the sentencing easier than those who are, say, first time offenders.  They know how to work the prosecution better because they know how to provide specific detailed information, which many first time offenders can't.  

These drug laws have been called racist by many groups, due to how high the percentage of Blacks and Latinos is in prisons.  Another conflict facing this law is how much money is being spent on these laws.  Instead of cheaper ways to fix the drug problems, such as community counseling or any other sort of drug treatment, tax payers instead pay immense amounts of money to send drug dea

lers to jail.  In today's economy, is that what we should be paying for?

When Beth Hundsdorfer and George Pawlaczyk walked into our small classroom, I was nervous.  The last time we had had someone in as a guest speaker, she had been hesitant to tell us her story, due to the disrespect she had received that morning from a late driver.  We had to step it up if it was the same .  However, I relaxed a little when they started doing most of the talking.  What they started telling us affected me deeply, mostly because they had investigated a story about how the Illinois DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) weren't doing their job properly and letting parents who obviously weren't able to be parents (like the infamous Jackie they spoke of, who gave birth to a child in a toilet).  If case workers let a child die, they were given very light punishments.  Due to George and Beth's story, a new law was set into place that made the punishments stronger.   If that has helped anything in the DCFS program, no one knows.  There were so many things I learned during their brief hour and a half talk, and one of which was about investigative reporting.  Any time I had ever heard about it before, I could have told you straight up that it was something I never wanted to do.  I never wanted to search around for clues,  possibly putting myself in danger, and I honestly didn't want to search around in public records for hours boring myself to death.  However, both of them made investigative reporting sound so much better than that.  

Beth Hundsdorfer told the class about a time when she had tried to interview an ex Olympian wrestler/Marine who was a suspect in his daughter's death (he was later found guilty of sexually  molesting another biological daughter for several years).  She had died from a seizure on a bus ride.  "I still laugh at this story," Hundsdorfer said.  She explained that upon arrival at the house, she had been friendly.  She had only pulled into the driver when the stepparents of the Marine started yelling at her to leave.  After she didn't immediately leave, huge dogs were set loose on her.  Obviously, she left.

Both Hundsdorfer and Pawlaczyk told their stories of past investigating and a tiny gear shifted in my brain.  It started to seem like something that I possibly would be able to do (not that this is a final decision, let me tell you.  I'm not sure I can be an investigator, as cool as that sounds).  Visions of me stopping criminals in their tracks and bringing out the greater good to the people ran through my mind.  They told us tips on how to ask questions (Pawlaczyk, back in the day, used a six pack to lure people to talk) and how easy it was to get into journalism.  I am now excited to see what kind of skills I can learn from this class.

taken from web

It feels like a winter wonderland...in fall

With elections coming up just next week, the issues are probably at the forefront of most people's minds.  For example, today it started snowing.  Not that it isn't uncommon for this time of year (because I've totally trick or treated when it snowed before), it seems weird to me how much we are getting.  Granted, here, in Albany, NY, nothing actually amounted to anything, due to the excess rain we had from the past day and a half, but down in my hometown, they were expecting eight inches.  That seems like such an incredulous amount.  I've never ever seen it snow that much in October.  My younger sister even got sent home early because of it.  Global warming, as much as I'd like to lay the blame it, may or may not have something to do with it.  But we, as citizens of this country, really should look into changes that can be made, especially with energy resources.  It scares me how much weather can be altered just by insignificant changes in the planet's atmosphere.  Not to mention, polar bears are said to have a very small survival chance and their extinction could be possible within 40 years.  We can't change nature, but we can stop polluting the atmosphere.  Where is everyone?

Rant about movies

I love watching movies from classic Hollywood.  They have a sense of charm around them that really astounds me, especially because of the color schemes (black and white) and the camera work.  I especially like the way the actors speak and how different cinema really was from today.  Today, fake scenery as a backdrop would never pass (unless accompanied by a green screen of course, and even then, sometimes its really easy to notice) as nicely to the audience.  Audiences want many action scenes, special effects, and steamy scenes.  I had the opportunity to watch Orson Welles' infamous Citizen Kane tonight in my film class.  I loved everything about it.  Sure, it wasn't the happiest movie I've ever seen, but the way everything blended together was magnificent.  There is a reason why so many people refer to it as one of the greatest films of all time.  I feel like a lot of people don't appreciate the movies of long ago.  It's a shame, really, how much people are changing.  I guess it shows how much has happened in history, as a world, and as a country, since then.  Things are very different from back then.  It would still be cool, though, to see someone make a film similar to those made in the early years.   Good Night and Good Luck was a pretty good try.  I enjoyed that a lot when I bought it.  Why aren't other people trying that?  I would totally be one of the first people in line at the theater if something like that came out.

Michelangelo Antonioni- He died recently (I don't really know much about him, but when I typed in Movies of Long Ago in the Google search box, he came up and it looked the part)

Weekend Encounters

Parents weekend, one of the most anticipated series of days by students' parents, started off amazingly.  I had food I haven't tasted in months, tons of mom-bought items (mostly snacks), and the comfort of a really nice hotel.  Let me tell you, you have no idea how comfortable a bed is until you lay down on one at the Hilton Garden I stayed in.  

However, the next day did not run as smoothly.  Not only was I forced to engage in an induction ceremony for the NSCS, but it rained.  Poured, really.  I was in the mall at the time, after being rushed out of the Friendly's we were eating at due to a "chemical spill" at Hot Topic.  I have to be honest in saying I was somewhat thrilled when that happened.  I received an extra ice cream sundae for free (the worker made an extra by mistake) and I have never been witness to something like that.  The smell was horrible, fireman were roping off areas of the mall, and the staff at the restaurant were a little nervous.  I later found out that the chemical was some cleaning agent that the employees apparently weren't supposed to use.  I like to say that there was a chemical spill, though.  It makes it seem a whole lot more dangerous.

After we got to the other side of the mall, we sat down to finish our ice creams where I watched two men being led into a small room in handcuffs.  I don't know what they did, but the cops (are they cops or just security guards?) didn't look too happy.  I've never seen anyone with real handcuffs.  I was witnessing the cross examination (not really, but that sounds cool).  The fun never stopped the whole time I was there.  

Even though the weekend was full of random mishaps and stressful encounters, it was definitely worth it to see my family.  I managed to see a new movie (Secret Life of Bees, which was very good.  I advise everyone to go see it) and I got to come home to a jacuzzi.  There's nothing like jumping into a hot tub of chlorine at the end of a rainy day.  

Ciudad Juarez

The other day I got to listen to Veroncia Leyva from Ciudad Juarez.  I know that I already spoke briefly about her, but, upon reviewing for a midterm that I have to take tomorrow, I realized something very important about the city that she is from.  I feel so stupid that I didn't know it beforehand, but Ciudad Juarez is an Export Processing Zone, which basically is a place that attracts foreign investors from around the world.  Apparently, the location of Ciudad Juarez is in such a strategic spot, with a pretty much equal distance for driving throughout various parts of the United States, that it is actually one of the most important areas for investors.  However, since the companies are run from different countries, a lot of the investors aren't interested in anything more than cheap labor and high profits.  So when it comes down to workers wanting more money, the question of whether or not the investors will still want to have their company in that city remains in the air.  I honestly wish I had known this before going in to my class on Tuesday.  I'm not sure that everyone there is aware of this, but still, the fact that there is a huge amount of factories there, probably more than anywhere else, is really astonishing.  Click here for a video, which is actually trying to show the good side of it all.  Of course, when you watch it, you will notice all the videos on the side to click on.

Halloween's Just Around the Corner

It's funny how fast the weather changes around here.  One day its sunny and the next it's raining and freezing.  Walking to class starts seeming like a daunting task, even though I usually don't mind it when I get there.  It would be an amazing week if the weather stayed the same each day  Then, I would know ahead of time to prepare myself.  I guess this means that Halloween is going to be another cold one this year.  It makes the atmosphere come alive, though, with the rustling leaves and the howling winds.  Even in the tower (where I live), kids are going to be able to trick or treat up and down the stairs.  Me and my friends even helped decorate the halls so that when the children went to all the rooms, they'd have something cool to look at.  However, on our floor, our things have been missing.  The first night, after two hours of creativity and hard work, we were really proud of what we did.  Black garbage bags hung over the lights, making it dark and spooky.  We also had orange holiday lights that cast a creepy orange glow on one side of the floor.  We hung cobwebs and covered up the green doors in black, writing "Beware!" and ghosts with a white paint pen.  When I woke up in the morning, I was greeted by a rubber skeleton on the futon.  At first, I wasn't sure what it was and thought that someone had just bought a decoration for the suite.  But then, as I looked even more carefully, I noticed it was the same exact skeleton that had been hanging in the hallway the night before!  As the week went by (because we did this just a mere 7 days ago), more things started disappearing.  Now, we just give up, and plan on redecorating the night before the kids are expected.  What else can one expect from a bunch of immature college kids?

Mexican Workers and Their Rights

I love when two classes diverge in topics, especially my two most favorite ones.  Today, I got to hear from Veronica Leyva, a maquiladora worker from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.  It was a weird experience, especially because we had to give our questions to the translator instead of straight to the speaker.  The fact that I knew a lot about the working conditions of Mexico concerning the maquiladoras gave me somewhat of an edge when I talked, but somehow, I was very nervous to ask a question.  I wanted to know more about what happened inside the factories, but when it came down to learning that or discussing femicide, a widely spread important issue in the city, I couldn't distract her.  I also remember her saying that she couldn't really remember her time spent in the maquiladoras.  Somehow, it was weird hearing her talk about something that I've only heard in one class before.  My professor, Mr. Leiva (pronounced the same as Veronica's last name) always had great enthusiasm in making us aware of what happened as new industries start taking over the world.  NAFTA has a huge part in the structure of the maquiladoras, especially since a lot of huge conglomerate corporations are staring to gain power almost exponentially.  It's something that I'm learning to care about a lot.  No one deserves to have both their lives and their family's lives threatened for a job.  No person should have to deal with the consequences of the toxic waste from the factories after products have been created.  No family should think about sending their family away to the United States illegally as a better idea that combating their own system in their own country.  I think this was a great learning experience, especially for a lot of my other classmates who had no idea what was going on.  Hopefully, this will help.

Allergies

I hate allergies.  I went through a solid six week phase where I basically couldn't breathe, smell, or function correctly.  Then, for about a month to maybe a month and a half I miraculously got better.  I was so happy too!  I didn't have to deal with itchy eyes, sore glands, or stuffed up sinuses.  I could smell things again!  However, something in the last week brought me and my old friend back together again.  So now, not only do I have the common side effects, I have no voice.  If anyone heard me right now, they would either laugh at me or not know who I was.  This always happens at the most inopportune moments too.  I have three (yes, three!) midterms this week and I have Parents Weekend (technically it's called Homecoming Weekend but that seems too much of a high school term).  I'm honestly thinking about getting some kind of surgery that will stop allergies forever (they could replace all the organs in my head, I wouldn't mind, or my lungs, or my tonsils).  So for now, I get to meander through my days missing a sensory organ.  It's pretty cool, let me tell you.

Pieces

Until this year, I've never realized how many parts there really are in a news story.  Whenever I read one, I honestly thought that the author just had a special knack for writing and that it just came naturally to write the way they did.  However, it is a lot more complicated than that.

Alicia Shepard came to visit us about a month ago, explaining all the details that went into interviewing.  Of course, before then, I had no idea who she was.  Yesterday in class, we finally got a chance to read her work, and I was pleasantly surprised with what was in front of me.  Now, I get to explain to you all the elements and pieces that go into her work.  

First off, ledes are important ( I never know if it is supposed to be "lead" or "lede" as that both have been used in the classroom) for getting a story going.  Alicia Shepard managed to hook me in pretty early with her piece titled A's For Everyone when she wrote, "It took an hour to compute and type in the grades for three classes, and then I hit "enter."  That's when the trouble started."  I wouldn't have even cared that much until she wrote that.  I wanted to know what exactly the trouble she was talking about was.

She was commenting on how so many students in college think that they deserve better grades and the attitudes she has to deal with.  A paragraph that pretty much summed up what the article was about (essentially, a nutgraph) said, "It's a concept that many students (and their parents) have a hard time grasping.  Working hard, especially on the night before a test or a paper due date, does not necessarily produce good grades."  

I have to be honest in that, throughout my entire academic career, I have been guilty of doing just that.  I usually wait until the day before something is due to start.  It's just something I have been used to doing and I think a lot of people expect it from kids my age.

Shepard has a way of using quotes to be direct and honest with her topic. She weaved not only other professors quotes, but those of students who are guilty of doing exactly what she wrote about.  We never once get a one sided take on this issue.  

Her transitions are fluid and easy to read throughout the piece, too.  Many paragraphs have ending sentences that really grabbed me in, such as when she wrote, "Then I talked to other professors in the School of Communication.  They all had stories."   

I was so curious to read what was coming next.  What other ridiculous students are out there, caring so much about a grade change?  At least when I get a bad grade, I know I deserve it.  If I know I spent only a small amount of time on something, I know that I'll probably end up only getting a B.  That's what enticed me about this piece.  I wanted to know that these students were for real, and not some hazy dream I had heard about and not seen.

One of my favorite quotes throughout the whole pieces was, "We've made a transition where attending college is no longer a privilege and an honor; instead college is a consumer product.  One of the negative aspects of this transition is that the role of a college-level teacher has been transformed into that of a service employee."  It was said by Stuart Rojstaczer, a professor at Duke University.

Another element that is in a lot of journalist's pieces is called a kicker, the end of the pieces that connects to the beginning idea.  Shepard's, of course, was funny and truthful. 

"She worked so hard, she told me.  This time, though, I was prepared.  I had the numbers to back me up, and I wouldn't budge on her grade.  No more Professor Softie."

As SchoolHouse Rocks plays in my mind...

We've all been taught about the process of how a bill becomes a law.  High school classes give that subject at least two or three days to learn.  So why is it, after so many times of learning it, I can never remember it?  I always have to look it up.  If only I had kept my notebook from my 12th grade government class.  This would have been so much easier.

However, just because those resources (meaning my notebook and my high school) aren't available doesn't mean there aren't any other options to go to.  So today, I will try to highlight the main points, and if for some chance, it isn't easily understood, then I guess I'll have to try again.

First off, an idea has to form (obvious I know) and from there text gets written up.  Someone who is a Member of Congress must introduce the bill by sponsoring it.  A bill has to be introduced while the House of Representatives is in session.  It is placed in a box called the hopper, which is located on the desk of the presiding officer.  Next, a bill clerk gives it a number.

After it is given a number, it is read aloud and then given to a committee.  There, they debate on it and possibly try to amend it.  They can table (or dismiss) any bill they think is unnecessary. If it is given a thumbs up, it goes onward to either a subcommittee (where pretty much the same thing happens) or to the floor of the House.  

It gets reported (which means a report of the provisions becomes attached to the bill) and then gets put on a calendar before it finally makes it way to the floor.  There, it is voted on.

If it gets passed in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, it gets sent to the President.  He can take no action, and if the Congress is in session, it automatically becomes a law after 10 days.  If, however, the Congress adjourns and the President doesn't take any action, the law will become vetoed.  It can also die if the President decides it is unlawful or unnecessary.  If he does sign the bill, it becomes a law.  If 2/3 of Congress decides that a vetoed bill is necessary, they can override the decision.  

Those right there are the basic rules to making a bill into a federal law.  Now I can be rest assured that that stupid song will forever be ringing in my head (or at least for a couple of hours).  

"I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill, sitting here on Capitol Hill..."

From working class to hero

 What started out as an interesting make shift press conference in my journalism class quickly turned sour when, after our professor asked us who the president of Brazil was, every single one of us remained silent.  We violated one of the most important rules, especially since we knew about our Brazilian visitors ahead of time.  

No one did any research whatsoever on the background of their country.  It made us seem very egotistical, which we are.  After that embarrassing situation, I knew I just had to find out (and maybe the push of our professor who assigned this to us helped a little too) who this guy was.  

His name is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.  A father of five and a faithful husband, he was born in Pernambuco.  He grew up in a poor neighborhood, which forced him to have a job for the first time at the age of 12 (he officially became employed at the age of 14).  Dealing with poverty, his family did the best they could for young da Silva.  He received public schooling, at least enough to read and write.  

He became actively involved in unions after his brother inspired him to run for an office.  Eventually, he was elected as Head of the Trade Union.  After his first strike that involved police oppression and brutality, he pondered about the idea of a Worker's Party.

His work trying to change the government, from worker's rights to direct elections, paid off.  He became President in 2002 at the age of 57 and won again, with a large percentage of the votes, in 2006.

This information is available everywhere.  I think it's important for people to be aware of the world around them.  I hope eventually our country will think of the countries around us too, instead of blatantly staying inside an isolated bubble.

Taken from www.presidencia.gov

Slow Progression

What started out as a hectic week has turned into one of ease, at least so far.  Sunday started out fine until about 4:00pm when I realized that a group project that we thought was due Wednesday was actually due Monday.  I was forced to work hard and fast to come up with a solution.  In the end, though, everything worked out fine, giving me a somewhat decent breath of relief.  But then, lo and behold, I remembered I had a midterm at 5:45.  Of course I haven't been keeping up with the readings, so for five hours I had to quickly scan my textbook before the class started (I ended up doing well, or so I am to believe).  However, today ended up being far more relaxing than I had anticipated, and I feel so utterly calm about the rest of the week.  I managed to keep my calm when interviewing Brazilian students, I stayed awake during my next class, and I was able to discuss the text in my English class.  Tomorrow, I get to listen to a poet for said English class, and the next day I get to listen to a foreign correspondent talk about his book.  I have to say, I am incredibly excited for that day.  It will be cool to hear someone's point of view who is not a normal fiction writer, but a journalist instead.  I want to ask him questions other than, "What personal experiences have gone into writing your novel?"  Hopefully I will actually have the courage to ask something intelligent.

Compound Interest...what is it and why should we care?

As a broke college student, things like compound interest and retirement funds sound completely irrelevant to anything I need to deal with.  However, when I started researching all the parts of compound interest (which I have to define for class), I realized it's a lot more important than I thought.

I had to do research for this one, even though the idea is simple.  Apparently, if you have a life savings, you receive interest on that amount in a certain period.  After that period is over, another amount of interest gets computed based on the amount you have plus the interest that you received.  At least, that's what I got out of it.  

After a long period of time, that interest builds up, which is something wealthy people have learned to recognize.  If you start when you're young, as the years go by, the amount in your account will accrue almost exponentially.  

For example, if you start out with $1000 in the bank account, 4% interest would give you $40 extra.  The next year, instead of figuring out the interest based on the beginning principle, it will be figured out based on the principle plus the 40 dollars.  That would give you $1081.60 for the second year.  After three years, you should come to $1124.86.  

Taken from Newsweek.

Friendly's

Since the dining halls are closed, we students have been forced to eat in the campus center.  This usually isn't too bad, but since this is the second week we have had to endure this, it is  honestly making us sick thinking about gorging on Wendy's, Sbarro's, or Au Bon Pain (even though this place serves some of the best soups ever.  I'm in love with the Broccoli Cheddar).  Although I'm broke, my friends and I decided to go to Friendly's (after we saw the entree and sundae special for $9.99 sign as we passed by).  Friendly's is one of those places that I used to love going to when I was younger.  Even as I grew up, it was a staple in a lot of my memories.  When we came to visit my sister the first time when she was in college, we went to Friendly's.  When I forced my mom and sisters to head down to Waldenbook's at 6:00 in the morning for the new Harry Potter book, we went to Friendly's.  When I met my brother-in-law for the first time, we went to Friendly's.  I really can't tell anyone why that is, but nonetheless, it seems like a place that I go to for sepcial experiences.  I missed how good the food was and the way the sundaes seem like the most amazing ice cream concoctions ever, even though you know they were done the same way any others are.  I don't know if this time will be something I remember forever, but for tonight, it was the highlight of my day.  

I survived Double M's Haunted Hayride

I am very easily scared, especially around Halloween.  You can bet that any kind of movie that features blood seeking murderers, revenge loving ghosts, or weird inbred creatures will freak me out.  However, as scary as they are, I know they aren't real.  Granted, blood seeking murderers still lurk around out there, but not the way they are portrayed in movies.  For the Halloween spirit, various venders like to set up haunted houses, hayrides, and mazes, which I had the fortune of going to tonight.  I've been to many before, and they all have the same setup.  Some have hayride that you wait a while to get on which is followed with some sort of maze or haunted house (or in my case, both).  A lot of others combine different elements together to try to make it scary too.  I personally love the actors who walk around through the lines.  They don't scare me at all  (nope, not at all).  My friends and I decided to go to MM Haunted Hayrides in Ballston Spa (coincidently the same place where the maze was, but not anywhere near it really).  The advertisements on the radio sparked our interest weeks ago. The hayride was a perfect length, featuring many different spots along the trail with scary music and characters running after you (like Michael Meyers.  I loved it when he came after us with a knife.)  However, inevitably, there were people on our wagon that really needed to be pushed off.  It's one thing to be scared, and believe me, we were scared.  We screamed at a lot of stupid petty stuff.  But when  a group of high schoolers jump on and start saying things like, "Hug Me!" and, "Pound it!" to every person that ran along, it's taking it to a whole new level.  I sat there thinking for most of the ride about the amount of trouble I would be in if I pushed them off. Not only did I have to listen to that, but a lot of the times, the people who were scaring us didn't want to get anywhere near them, and I had to sit next to them!  I was still scared though, which definitely made it worth it.  

After the hayride, a "maze" followed.  The maze wasn't an actual maze, but it was still fun to go through.  It featured a redneck wedding, complete with a bride tied down to a bed and a woman who tried to convince me to use the cardboard toilet paper rolls as curlers.  I wasn't so much scared as I was entertained.  It seemed to be a sort of comic relief of sorts.

Then (cue the foreboding soundtrack), we approached the Haunted Manor.  Usually, these things are easy to get through.  They all have similar rooms and usually the people just jump out.  It all started to seem like that too, until, we reached the doctor's room, who was mercilessly cutting a girl into pieces.  After that point, we followed the path into the dark.  No lights.  No exit.  We knew we had to go forward, as scared as we were.  I've never held on, so dearly for my life, to my friend's jacket as I did during those few minutes.  We finally got out, screaming.  I saw the rest of the people outside, and from then on, I knew we'd be all right.

The 7 Word Description

I've been asked to describe myself in 7 words.  At first, I was so excited about it that my thoughts kept tumbling throughout my head.  But then, it hit me that thinking of only seven words to describe me out of the bazillion or so words out there seems utterly impossible.  Even here as I'm about to attempt this, I am so clueless that my brain just might stop working from overactivity.  I can't even describe myself in a paragraph, much less a sentences, but here goes:

Grew up too fast, now facing future.

This is so hard.  Probably the hardest creative process my brain has ever had to go through (which is pretty pathetic actually).  I have to say, it does define me, not all the way, but enough.  Hopefully someone else agrees.

I don't know what's been going on with me lately with the posting.  I really love writing, but I have been skipping nights like crazy.  I'm going to have to get back into my system, or else this won't work.

Creative Lag in the System

I love my college.  Not only do I get a fantastic education, but I get the added benefit of having no school for Jewish holidays.  Last week, I only had to go to classes on Thursday and Friday, and this week I only have tomorrow left.  When the day finally comes for me to have to bare (gasp!) five days a week, I think I might actually die.  It's really unfair.   The other awful thing about these two weeks is the fact that my sister is off in Budapest (in Hungary for those who don't know), so I can't call her and she's nine hours ahead of me.  Torture will inevitably follow me soon.  I can't believe how short of a post this will be, but I am seriously out of ideas.  What is happening to me?  (I'll be okay tomorrow...hopefully)

Take me to the movies...take me to the show!

I love old movies from the 20s and 30s.  There's just this simple elegance about them that astounds me and the innocence of the conversations dazzle me.  However, there are a lot more movies than I thought there were.  In my film class that I'm taking this semester (which is far inferior to the one of last semester), we were able to watch silent films, some of which were good, like Charlie Chaplin's films (the one we watched was about an ice skating waiter...) and some were just primitive and boring (I really need to pay attention to what I'm watching).  Tonight we got to watch The Jazz Singer, which was actually pretty good.  It was about this young fifteen-year-old Jewish boy who sang jazz instead of the religious hymns.  His father wanted him to sing for Yom Kippur, but the boy rebelled and ran away.  He then turned into a star and when he returned, his father forbade him from the house.  The father then got sick and the son sang the song that he should have years ago.  It was better than I'm making it sound, only because new technologies were in production, including sound (conversations and singing! well ok, one conversation, but still, it was unheard of back then) and special effects (like the appearance of the father as a ghost when the son was singing).  I love movies from around that time.  My friends said once that I was born about 60 years too late.   I think that's true.  Maybe not.  I love technology too much.

Money...Why is it Necessary???

I am your average college student.  I am jobless, I have no money (obviously), and I'm trying to find my niche in the career world.  Sometimes it's really hard, too. I never realized really how difficult it was because last year at this time I was working as a work study student for the school.  I had it all planned out, thinking that I was going to be getting a raise this year, plus the tuition check I got from the school.  I was excited.  However, all that planning died as soon as I found out I no longer qualified and I had to try to find a job in the real world.  I was so close too.  I got called for an interview, and then another interview (for the same job too) but I didn't get it.  Gah.  What's with the world and the need of money anyway?  Not only do I have to apply to more places, but they have to deal with the fact that for a whole month I won't be there.   Around here, you would think they'd be a little lenient, since after all, it is a college town.  But no, they try to find their workers who can be there, and I'm not one of them.  Maybe after college I'll find a job.

Friday's

I've always looked forward to Friday's at the PAC (Performing Arts Center in case you didn't know).  They show first run movies, like The Dark Knight, which will be debuting sometime this year (they recently told us that it would be postponed).  Last time I went, they showed Indiana Jones, which was a real treat, and a week before that, Iron Man.  It's really cool to watch movies that I was never able to afford in theaters.  Last year, I saw so many new movies, like Atonement and Transformers.  There were tons others, but the reason I write about it tonight is...for the first time since I've gone, there was an error.  I was expecting to walk in and enjoy Get Smart, a movie which I've seen, and loved, that I was very happy to see again.  However, when we got there, they said that the disc was broken and that they were going to be showing Cloverfield.  Granted, it's apparently  a good movie, but not at all what I wanted.  I wanted to see a comedy, not a horror film (even though I'm not exactly sure what Cloverfield was supposed to be).  I wanted to see Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway on the big screen.  It made me really upset that they wouldn't even advertise about the error.  I instead had to walk aimlessly around the campus until something else interesting came along.  Oh, the problems I have.

Debating

Ok, so I stated that politics bothered me last entry.  However, there has to be a point where people say, "I need to start caring about my country."  I mean, our whole entire being is based off this system that people worked really hard to make.  Wars were fought over it and we won, which is a really good thing.  Where would any of us be today if it weren't for the political choices that have been made since then?  It's scary to think about.  Tonight I watched the vice presidential debate, which for some reason, I was actually excited to see.  Granted, today an assignment was made which forced me to watch, but I was totally planning on watching it  before that.  The thing about a vice presidential debate is that they aren't speaking for themselves.  In a way they are, because one of them will be standing up there next to the president when the day comes, but they just stood there and spoke about their presidential candidate.  I have to give both of them props though, because they were very passionate about what they talked about, and neither of them flinched.  For some weird reason, I was expecting an error and there wasn't one.  One thing that startled me was that (and I have no idea why I never thought about it before) if there ever was a moment where the president would die, the vice president would take over.  Now, I'm not dumb.  I'm aware of what would happen, but I wasn't expecting a question to be asked about it.  I guess we need to know though, what would change if the vice president were to be come the head honcho in office.  I don't know where this election is going to go from here, but hopefully everything will be okay. 

Politics Schmolitics

Politics has always bothered me.  I always looked at it as this huge fight.  How could anything possibly get solved with two sides bickering about issues?  Since I've started caring about things, however, I am suddenly almost to the point where I understand what's going on.  If everyone agreed about everything, I guess we'd never get anywhere, as far as progress goes.  Which is why I am starting to like skits on SNL and actually getting into watching debates and speeches (well ok, I was forced to watch them for class, but I enjoyed them anyway!) Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were so funny making fun of Sarah Palin.  David Letterman was also really funny about John McCain not showing up for his show.  I couldn't stop laughing even though he was more angry than anything else.  I am so excited about the vice presidential debate tomorrow.  I honestly want to see what happens.  

Discovery

Music has, and always will, have a strong influence on my life.  I've spent years playing instruments and listening to my sister's music.  Not only is there music that I've been loving for years, I'm always in the mood to listen to new artists and groups that are just coming onto the scene.  To do that is usually really hard because I have to look for sites that will list new music on the rise.  I've been to myspace, which is pretty cool considering I can listen to any song without having to pay for it, but getting past the initial tackiness of myspace is a daunting process.  However, I've discovered a new way to find new music.  Pandora.com asks you what your favorite artist is.  You type it in and then all of a sudden, a whole string of songs pops up, usually starting with the artist that you chose.  The only downside to this is the fact that you can't skip songs too often.  I've come to realize that when listening to new music, it's hard for me to just listen to full songs.  I usually listen to part, and then listen to a new one.  So this is a hardship I'm just going to have to deal with.  They match songs that have similar rhythms, acoustic styles, and harmonies.  I'm sure it does more than that, but I'm not certain about the specifics.  If you are in the mood to listen to a whole new slew of songs, check this out.  You can honestly sit there for hours listening to the specific station this website has made for you.  

Days of Nothing

Lately, for some unknown reason, I have been bad at getting posts in daily.  I just keep forgetting about it until it's too late.  Take now for instance.  It's so late that it really should be considered wrong of me to post this.  But I am anyway, just to show that I can keep going anyway.  

Today was the first official off day of Rosh Hashanah at school.  It was amazing, considering how little sleep I've been getting in the past couple of weeks.  I had no worries, I got to laze out all day, and I even got to watch a movie.  Three of my favorite things in one day.  

It's weird because in high school, we never got off for Jewish holidays.  I think it was because there weren't too many Jewish kids there, but still, getting a five day weekend for a holiday other than Thanksgiving makes me so incredibly happy. 

The only thing that is really creeping me out about it is the lack of people around.  While usually there are thousands of students milling around, there is a very very small fraction of that.  It's kind of unnerving walking around.  

At night it's usually worse, because when I look out my window, there are hardly any rooms lit up through the low rise buildings and it's quiet.  Right there makes it eerie.  No drunk teenagers scream at the top of their lungs or laugh maniacally while I'm trying to sleep.

I don't like that part really.  But spending five days doing whatever with my friends keeps me occupied.  It's going to be quite a task going back to classes on Thursday.

taken from web

Amazing Apples

I've always thought that fall was on one of my favorite parts of the year.  Everything about it makes me happy, besides the cold rain and the long hours of school that is.  I hate the days that start out perfectly fine and then all of a sudden, small drops of cold moisture start dropping from the sky.  It ruins everything.  My pants get soaked, my hair starts curling in the most awful ways, and it gets significantly colder, especially when I don't have a jacket.  But, things like apple picking and trying to tackle a huge 3 acre maze outweigh all the bad stuff.  

This weekend, I managed to tackle both of the aforementioned.  I went apple picking with my friends at this place called Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont, NY.  It is this really cute place with homemade donuts, a petting zoo, and of course, yummy apples.  I managed to come home with a whole bag of them, not to mention the free ones I ate along the way.

Today, I got to tackle the Amazing Maize Maze in Ballston Spa.  I have to be honest when I say it was a lot harder than I initially thought it would be.  I had this weird desire to get lost in it.  That is, until I actually went inside.  A crazy network of intergalactic spaces turns followed, with paths that led to nowhere except where we started, dead ends, and people who were just as confused as we were.  It was insane.  We eventually managed to tackle it however in just 45 minutes.  I was pretty proud, even though I didn't do much to help, besides hold the flag.  

I really think everyone should try one of those mazes at least once in their lifetime.  It's an adventure you really don't want to miss.