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.

Leading Stories

Leads should be easy.  Writing the first paragraph of an article sounds like something that should just come naturally.  Boy, was I wrong.  When I cracked open the pages of my new All the News textbook, I was expecting the same introductory information I've always heard.  But, there are so many other ways out there to start a story!  Number one, anecdotal leads are amazing.  Not to directly quote the book, but one featured story started out explaining the story of a man who wanted a tattoo.  It gave his reason, but at the last possible sentence, we find out that he was actually getting a form of scarification.  It freaked me out that someone would want to do that, but the way this writer portrayed the data gave me chills.  Descriptive leads set up a scene, describing the main points of a story.  Questions never work.  Well, ok, that's a lie.  Sometimes they work, but I feel someone like me would never get them to.  The section in the book definitely gave me tips on how to start a story.  Maybe I'll actually put them to work sometime.

Scary Movie

I've stated many times that I am not an avid horror film fan.  Scary movies make my mind unsettled for days and going to sleep is harder than usual.  However, I can honestly say that there is a movie out there that actually does scare me, but I feel like it won't haunt me.  Nightmare on Elm Street is your typical 80s movie.  Big hair, bad effects, and techno music litter most of the movie.  I was honestly surprised because it defies so many movies that are out today.  It shows how much the movie industry has really changed in 20 years.  The villain himself, with his knives that screech, his striped shirt, and his infamous hat, scared me.  The thought of a murderer coming in to my dreams and stripping me of my sleep absolutely terrified me.  But I think the mix of all the bad elements with all the scary elements definitely made me make a joke of the movie more.  I wonder what people will think of our movies from this era?  Will they seem as badly made too?

The Older versus the New Generation

Since I'm taking two journalism classes this semester, it seems only fair that  I would learn some things twice, even though one class is totally hands on and the other one deals with reading and lectures.  One article I had to read for the workshop class dealt with a librarian's response to numerous emails complaining about the lack of teenage reading.  This has been an ongoing debate that I've heard countless times.  Kids just aren't reading anymore.  However, no one ever takes into account that the youth of today are very different from the youth of the people who are complaining.  Every day, new information is loaded into our brains due to the internet and other multi media sources.  Why is everyone saying we don't read when everyday, hours are spent on scanning text?   Besides the fact is that still, the majority of kids do enjoy reading, but with constant school pressure, work, and family matters, it's a lot harder.  They have gotten to the point where quick skimming of information is key.  As the author in the article emphasizes, kids today are learning skills that the older generation took a lifetime to figure out. 

A New Game!

It's not unusual for me and my friends to discover weird, random things, but tonight, we experienced something that was unusual even to us.  Games are the perfect solution to a bored night in, or even as a simple distraction to a confusing paper I had to write for tomorrow.  One that was amazing, especially for large groups of people (even though there was a total of three of us playing, it would definitely be more fun with more people), is Quelf.  I'm guessing out there, not many people have heard of this, but at the local Barnes and Noble, my suitemate stumbled upon a rare game that is a step up from even Cranium.  Not only do you get to move your pieces toward an inevitable end in the middle of the board, you get to perform acts, such as talking like a pirate or saying everything twice until a new card tells you not to, but quirky trivia is also mixed in among the cards.  For instance, a pentagram is not a shape, but a nonagon is.  If you have a large group of people, definitely try this game.  You won't be let down.

Family Saturdays

Last year when I came to college, I completely tried to throw the past behind me and move forward, without looking back.  I didn't know then, however, that I really didn't want to.  It was a stupid, stupid move to think I could do anything in life with people from back home, like my friends and my family.  They are my essential core and I wouldn't be anything without them.  Not that family reunions scream joy or anything, but sometimes hearing or seeing them makes me feel elated.  Today I got to see my dad in what seems like forever, even though to be honest, it was only a couple of weeks.  I got to play mini-golf, a "sport" that can be fun at any age (even though younger children walking past me made me feel somewhat weird).  I even won, which never happens due to my lack of coordination and aim.  However, it always feels good to see people who will be there in my future.  I can have as many friends here as possible, but who knows what will happen after college ends?  So now, I am stuck with a sense of nostalgia (that won't be able to stay too long thanks to the increasing pressure of schoolwork and life).

Official Article--Drinking: Is 21 too high?

It seems highly unlikely to walk around a college campus without having students complain about the drinking age.  Even adults, such as professors, alumni, and the like, think that the age is too high.  An older woman named Rachel Rosen, alumni of the class of '81 said, "I'm not against it."  This will continue to be a growing problem as elections start getting more and more intense.

Jackie Spitzer, a 19 year old student interviewed on campus, stated, "Because you're 18, you're legal to do pretty much everything else.  What is three years?"  Many agree with Jackie, such as Lyndsey T (who didn't feel right giving her last name) who said, "It's a good idea, then people will stop giving in to the appeal."  

Any article you will come across will tell you the same thing.  College campuses want the age lowered.  If students are able to easily access alcohol, they won't be pressured to drink indoors, or enclosed spaces without supervision.  They wouldn't want to drink as much either, which would cause less accidents on the road.

Jeffrey Lopez, also interviewed at the University at Albany, thinks that it "doesn't really matter, because there will be less underage drinking."  It was a unanimous vote across the board.  The age is too high.

"If you can go to war, you should be able to go to a bar for a drink," says 20 year old Kim.  This is also a common argument against the current drinking age.  If you are 18, you are allowed to go to war, risking your life at every moment.  People want change, and they want it soon.

Taken from CartoonStock.com

Balancing Academics

Schoolwork seems to be adding up tremendously.  I think sometimes, I let things go too far past when I should be doing them, that when I finally do go to tackle everything, I have too much.  It's a nutty process that I should probably stop, but it's like caffeine, it's hard to quit.  Speaking of caffeine, I managed to snag a second interview for Starbucks, which means that I actually will have to plan my schedule so I go crazy.  Stress and chaos, I welcome you to my life!  Thank god for college professors being lenient.  My globalization professor honestly doesn't care when we hand assignments in, which makes me so incredibly happy.  I've never been the type of student to hand things in late, though, which makes my stomach start knotting.  I don't really want to be the kind of person who misses deadlines.  I caught myself forgetting to do a homework assignment for said class last Wednesday, and remembered only a mere twenty feet away from the building.  Needless to say, I'm getting into a bad cycle.  

Interviews are fun!

Interviewing people is hard to do, and yet, it is pretty easy.  The first thing I realized when walking up to random people and asking them questions is that they give you a funny look.  I seriously walked up to a girl and said, "Hi.  I need to ask some random people some questions," and she really looked ready to get up and walk away.  However, I was able to stop her by saying, "It will only take a few moments."  I had to ask them about lowering the drinking age, and on a college campus, no one should be surprised that every single person I asked was in favor of it.  It made me feel like I walked around for no reason, because every statement they told me matched articles I read about the subject.  I was honestly looking for some opposition, but received none.  I even asked an older lady, who seemed to be old enough to be a mother, and she told me, "I'm not really against it, but it has to be reinforced."  I was shocked because what mother is for drinking alcohol, especially those who are old (young?) enough to be in college.  She wouldn't even tell me her real age.  All she responded was, "Class of '81."  So it seems that there are a lot of people ready to make this happen.  I'm not convinced, though. 

Authors

I've never personally heard an author speak.  I've dealt with professors who have written books, but somehow, that doesn't seem the same to me.  For my english class that I signed up for with no purpose whatsoever, we get to actually talk to the authors of the books we read.  I really like this idea, only because we are so used to being spoon fed all that literary junk such as symbolism, metaphors, and all that jazz, and for once, you get to hear the author's take on the book.  Today I listened to Andre Dubus III, famous for penning The House of Sand of Fog, and it was really mind boggling.  For a brief moment in time, I got to hear an author actually say (gasp!) that he had no intention whatsoever of using symbolism!  That's perfectly fine to me.  I absolutely hate having to analyze books I love for subtle clues that really shouldn't mean more than they are.  Sure, some authors totally plan it out, but it seems utterly impossible that every one does.  Anyway, listening to this guy made me want to read all the assigned books more.  Not only does it give you a chance to personally ask everything you wanted to ask, but you can honestly have a good time! I really enjoyed sitting amongst so many literary lovers, listening to their questions that I would never have thought of asking.  If there ever is a chance to go out and hear an author speak, definitely try it (and read a book by them so you have some idea of their style).

A blog-defining a generation

I've been asked to define what a weblog is, which seems somewhat impossible to describe.  Not because I can't, exactly, but mostly because it is so vague of a word.  I guess in one way it is a way for people to express how they feel about things, because nothing can get more personal than writing entries each day to mostly yourself.  If you think about it, sites like Blogger don't mention how many people look at a blog each day, so unless someone you know actually talks to you about it, or if a random anonymous stranger decides to leave a comment, you have no feedback on what you're saying.  You can write whatever you want to, guaranteed to be part of an immense network out there in the internet.  

Another use I've noticed for blogs, not that this pertains to me, is that celebrities (authors, singers, actors, etc.) get to give their fans glimpses of their glamorous lives.  Stars who are idolized every day get to reach out and show the world that they are like every person out there (even though that is a really far fetched theory). 

 I, however, really like reading authors' personal blogs, such as Meg Cabot's (http://www.megcabot.com/diary/), or nerdy movie blogs, such as http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/archive/ (I'm not sure this can be counted as a blog however, but I will count it anyway).  If you have ever watched The Office, the woman who plays Kelly Kapoor writes a pretty funny blog about purchases she has made.  She hasn't updated since April, however, so I get the feeling she is discontinuing that.  I honestly feel that blogs today are purely a new style of expressing ourselves.

The thousand things I learned for Interviewing

I've been through enough boring lectures in school to know some things when being in an interview.  Always be on time, maybe a little early to make sure you aren't late, keep eye contact, don't show signs of nervousness.  However, I was always at the receiving end of that, which meant that those were things that I as the one being interviewed had to deal with.  This week, I got to listen to Alicia Shepard as she taught the class important things to do as the interviewer.  I knew when she was talking that these words that she was saying would probably come to use one day.  She told us always to take three things with us: a pen, a piece of paper, and a grain of salt.  We should always be skeptical when interviewing.  One of the key questions to ask is "What do you mean?"  That phrase makes people stop and think, and you always want the person you are interviewing to give up information they wouldn't usually give up.  Never ask questions with a yes or no answer so make sure to try and use open ended questions.  Don't talk about yourself and use silence as your friend.  All these things went jumbling through my head as I strived to take them down on my clumsy spiral notebook (which, thankfully, I have a replacement for).  She advised us to use our own original shorthand because trying to take down every sentence word by word is one of the hardest things to do.  She also told us to never ask the question you want to ask the most, first.  Bias is something that should never get in the way.  No matter what my opinion is, I should always try to bend over backward for someone I don't agree with.  Have throwaway questions just to buy time and if you get to the "bomb" question, ask it, because they will probably be relieved about it.  I learned so much during my one small hour and a half class that seemed to go by in the blink of an eye, that even now, trying to think of anything that wasn't written down seems impossible.  The one thing that will forever remain in mind, though, is that I should never use the word interesting.  Interestingly enough, this word means nothing.  

September 11th

No one can ever forget the event that happened seven years ago and while it is something to always remember, it's so weird that the impact it had is still almost as profound.  I have to be honest when I say that September 11th, 2001 didn't have that strong of an impact on me.  Yes, it gives me chills whenever I think about the infamous scene of the first plane crashing into the first tower, and I know it was this huge attack against my country, but no one I knew was hurt.  I didn't get to witness it firsthand.  I didn't have anyone around the area that I couldn't get ahold of.  I didn't even know what the World Trade Center was when I heard the announcement at my school.  It's amazing to hear those people's stories and it's pretty cool to watch documentaries about it.  There was this assignment we had to do in my workshop journalism class, all about the news moment that had the greatest impact on me.  I didn't choose September 11th; I chose the space shuttle that exploded on reentry.  I remember what I felt that day, and even though the numbers weren't as large, it's something that is just as big of a disaster.  People were killed, and it's never something that should be taken lightly.  But my heart does go out to those who are still dealing with the consequences of this day's anniversary.  

Oh the joys of being an adult

After high school, it seemed academics and friendships were the only parts of my life that mattered in college.  However, I've realized, things aren't how they seem.  People here, unless of course they've got some other source of cash flow coming in, have to get...jobs.  I know, I know, it sounds crazy.  I really thought that if I had work study for these couple of years it would have been like a piece of cake.  But now, I have an interview for Starbucks on Friday and I have to plan a schedule so that I have enough time for schoolwork, for actual classes, for NSCS (which is this honor society club thing I paid $75 to join), for friend time, for rest time, AND for work.   It's this hectic crazy thing I have to deal with.  I honestly can't even begin to try thinking about the amount of stress I am going to be in.  I might even have to start scheduling my whole entire day.  It would go somewhat like this.   Monday:  Wake up, Go to lunch, go to class, work, get back, go to class, do homework, sleep.  Tuesday: Wake up, Go to class, Eat lunch, homework, sleep.  Gah!  I am so ready to try to tackle this.

Amendment Number One

The First Amendment is a simple paragraph.  You can find it anywhere, in souvenir shops, in libraries, in textbooks.  It speaks to the best of us.  To those who are different, it gave them life.  No matter what religion you are, no matter what anyone wants to say, the first amendment guarantees that people are free to do so.  They have the power to  question authority, to "assemble peacefully," and establish any religion desired.  However, as said by a professor once, "Where do we draw the line?"  As liberating as that little paragraph at the start of the Bill of Rights is, there has to be a point where what you say, and what you do, have consequences.   We are all fundamentally free, but everyone has to understand that there's a limit.  How can we do this in today's society, when every person out there, wants to believe and say anything?

 

Amendment	Significance
2	The freedom to possess firearms in a household; the right to possess an army
3	A soldier does not have the permission for access of a civilian’s household unless granted by the law.
4	Unless there is probable cause, no warrant shall be issued for search and seizures of a citizen’s house.
5	No person can be charged twice for the same crime no matter the outcome; no one can be held presentable for a grand crime unless they have a court, unless it is a naval or militia offense; “due process of the law”
6	Accused people have the right for a public trial with a jury from the state in the location that the accused committed the crime, to have witnesses against and for him, to have a public defendant.
7	For common law cases, an accused person has the right for a jury; the case shall not be examined again afterwards
8	Extra bail or fines shall not be inflicted, unusual/gratuitous torture shall not be inflicted either
9	People have certain rights other than those listed in the Bill of Rights
10	Rights that aren’t granted by the federal government, but aren’t prohibited by the States, are given to the States, or the people of the States.

The experience of Kelly Cramer

When dealing with a tough, powerful person, it takes guts and determination, especially when writing a story about them.  Last Thursday I listened firsthand to journalist Kelly Cramer, who wrote "Daddy's Girl",  as she explained how she tackled David Bruce McMahan's scandalous relationship with his daughter.  I listened to her rapturously, learning as she went on, how to slow down a speaker, how to keep going with a story even when getting threatened with lawsuits, and undermining someone who used citizen's tax dollars to "use and abuse the justice system."  A journalist like Kelly makes me want to become a better person, and writer, probably because she was willing to put everything on the line in order to print this story.  In the end, this man's reputation was tarnished and people found out some pretty interesting information they hadn't known before.  Some words of advice she gave the class: "Ex wives are great sources."

John McCain

"Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us."  Last Thursday night, as thousands of roaring citizens cried out screams of joy, John McCain spoke to the crowd.  The people started shouting out "USA", obviously showing a sense of patriotic pride.  After 8 years under a not so popular president, McCain had to sell himself to both Republican voters and those who had yet to decide.  He promised great things, different from Obama, yet still guaranteeing security.  When a group of protesters interrupted his speech, he wasn't distracted by it.  He didn't show any signs of disappointment or disgrace.  He simply spoke to the crowd, "Please don't be diverted by the ground noise and the static.  Americans want us to stop yelling at each other." He was able to see right through the opposition and still speak with a strong mindset.  He promised that "change is coming" and explained his views on education (..."help bad teachers find another line of work"), oil drilling, and healthcare.  He promised to help those who were hurt.  Even though I disagree on a lot of the issues, like drilling, I was moved.  I honestly believed he was a caring gentleman, willing to help the citizens in this country  who were serving.  He acted like he cared, about the people, and what he wanted. "In the end, it matters less if you can fight.  What matters is what you fight for."  

Harrison Ford still has it

I had this grand idea placed in my head that I would get ahead with my schoolwork and manage to write three blog entries for my journalism class, all today.  However, I forget the details half the time, and with everything going on, I didn't get to write them.  Even last night, I was so tired that I fell asleep before I even got to write what I planned, which was a review.  So because of that, I am going to shift everything forward.  Last night, I got to see Indiana Jones and the Legend of the Crystal Skull.  I was really looking forward to it, mainly because I've been in love with Harrison Ford ever since I saw Star Wars: A New Hope.  I was not really aware of everything that came before this film, so when watching it, I was slightly clueless.  My time at DenofGeek.com prepared me somewhat, though, so I knew enough to understand a lot of it.  That's the beauty of this film, though.  You don't have to know the rest of the story before you see this!  Everything in it is fantastic, and while sometimes it seems a little mediocre and like any other action movie, you get proven wrong by something else that comes along.  Even Cate Blanchett's fake Ukraine accent didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.  The story was a great adventure that I would like to see over and over again.  I have this urge now to go and buy the rest of the series on DVD, even though every single store out there is trying to cash in on this and are charging as much as a new movie.  I hate when movie stores do that.  Whenever I'd scrounge through the older movie section at FYE, I'd stop after I glanced at the prices.  I know a lot of films are classic, but charging $25 for a movie that came out seventy years ago is just ridiculous, especially since I can see them for free from a library.  I really need to find some kind of shop that has excellent movies for a cheap price.  I'd be there frequently.

So go see this movie if you are in the mood for a fun ride through South America.  It's got everything you need, including the infamous Indy theme song.  That's what makes the movie so good.  The blend of the new and the old.

Read all about it!

For my journalism class, I'm going to be assigned to write on a blog, which, lucky for me, will actually  make this that much better.  I am really excited to have someone tell me what to write, instead of having to depend on my own thoughts and choices about topics that may or may not be interesting.  There will be actually stimulating entries in here for once, instead of ramblings about food, movies, and the like.  I have to say though, I am proud of how far I've come, considering I've been writing in this for three months now.  Maybe I have more potential than I thought.  Tomorrow I will be starting with these integrations, and I hope that my own style won't be lost.  I don't think it will though.  Hopefully it will make a good foundation.

A typical Wednesday night

Although I like to scatter my blog with important pieces, today will be nothing but personal.  Throughout my college experience, and some of my high school too, I have watched the show America's Next Top Model.   Before I ever watched it, I thought it was a stupid idea.  I thought it should have been very vain and full of girls who were just so much more prettier than normal people like me.  But then, one day, out of boredom and one small inkling of curiosity, I watched it.  It was so interesting to me, especially seeing all the behind the scenes work and what it really took to be a model.  I'm not saying I agree with the model world.  When I read about how many girls were starving themselves to be thin in order to keep up their game in the fashion industry, I was seriously disgusted at the limits designers were pushing these girls to.  This show, on the other hand, deals with a lot more than that.  Half the girls aren't even that pretty.  They have their uniqueness that makes them stand out, yes, but if you saw these girls in the middle of a shopping store, you wouldn't think them any different than anyone else.  Plus size models even make it onto the show, so you can't even start to tell me it's all about being thin.  Last year, a plus size model, Whitney, even won!  You really can't have any excuses now.  It's so entertaining.  My favorite part is seeing the finished photos and how transformed these girls get when you add a simple tool such as lighting or makeup.  I've now seen it as an art form, and I really enjoy it.  You should check it out.  

Sad news. :(

I was perusing the internet just a few minutes ago, and I found out some of the saddest news ever.  Don LaFontaine died!  Now I know when reading that, you won't have any idea who that is, but let me refresh your memory.  He is the movie voiceover guy!!  Here is a clip I'm sure you all know well.   If you don't know that voice, you really need to get out more.  

I am not sure of his exact credentials, but I feel like he was a really important part of voiceover history.  People who have voices like that are not easily forgotten.  I definitely will not forget this guy.

The promise of tomorrow

So I have noticed that every week there is one day where my mind completely goes blank.  That day happens to be a Sunday.  I don't know why it's always this day, but the fact that it is a day where laziness and doing absolutely nothing (which is the essentially the same thing) but maybe laundry and homework are 100% promised.  Unless of course I have something to do that day, like seeing plays, which I was forced to do last semester for my Intro to Dramatic Arts class.  Yesterday, I had the promise of today, a day off from school thanks to Labor Day (someone really needs to explain to me what the significance of the day is.  I'm not complaining really, because I like having no class during the second week of school, but really, why does the world have to stop for a day?) so I wasted it with my suitemate.  What we actually did amounted to playing hours upon hours of mindless games on addictinggames.com (which, I have to say, is genius sometimes) and eating food.  What on earth would I blog about on a day like this?  How the ratio of fat to grease on the bacon was off at the dining hall downstairs?  I don't think so.  So if there happens to be a Sunday where there is no entry, just know you have the promise of tomorrow.  Let it slide.  They are just awful days.