PWR After Class

PWR 2 Fall Webby Winner: The Power of Framing

2011-12-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

by Jose A. Alvarez

This clip and others like it have spread like wildfire, receiving airtime on most American news stations in the past few weeks. The story: a group of protestors was pepper-sprayed by police officers at the University of California at Davis. The report has caused outrage throughout the country from Occupy Wall Street protesters, sympathizers, and college communities. As a viewer watching a report like the one above, one concludes that an irresponsible police officer in riot gear used an unnecessary weapons-grade pepper spray to assault a group of peaceful protestors.

Does that sound like a popular opinion? It should, and that is no surprise. News stations everywhere use framing techniques to present content in a way that encourages viewers towards a specific interpretation or opinion. These techniques can be motivated by political agenda, corporate agenda, or a desire for top ratings. At this point you may be asking why framing matters in this case. The clip above seems to be straightforward, and according to our society’s consensus gentium the police officer used unnecessary force on peaceful protestors. Well, here are 15 minutes of video that the news reports chose to omit:

* A version of the video without commentary can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjXcaoEAkq4&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

I won’t give you 15 minutes of additional commentary, but here’s a rough synopsis. The police officers first give warnings to the protesting students, including information on the laws they are breaking. After the students refuse to leave, police officers clear tents and arrest a group of students. Other students then encroach and surround the police officers and demand that the arrested students be released before they allow the officers to leave. After some final warnings, the police officers proceed to use pepper spray to clear a path. Encroachment, the most serious offence by the students in the second video, is against the law. Hence, after watching the second video, it seems as if the use of pepper spray by the police officer was indeed provoked and warranted, something that the news report failed to address.

Many questions result after watching both videos. Why did the “experts” in the news report fail to take into account the information depicted in the second video? If my assumption that it is illegal to encroach and surround police officers is true, why were three officers placed on administrative leave? Do all of the station’s employees, including writers, anchors, and executives, share the blame for the blatant exclusion of information from news reports? Unfortunately, while those and other questions are important, this post is just too short for the appropriate answers.

This post is not meant to support or refute the Occupy Wall Street movements. My own personal opinions on the matter are irrelevant. Rather, it is meant to challenge the ways in which we interpret content that is delivered to us by the media. The more aware we become of mass media’s methods for content delivery, the closer we can get to truly forming our own informed opinions on news.

PWR 2 Webby Runner-Up: So You Wanna be a YouTube Blogger

2011-12-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

by Sam Carreon

PWR2 Webby Runner-Up The Hashtag: Digital Intonations #languageempowerment #evolutionofcommunication

2011-12-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

Still to this day, I’m not really sure how I feel about Twitter #doubt #uneasiness

In some ways it seems like it’s an amazing outlet for self-expression and an innovative communicatory tool #thanksJackDoresy

And other times it seems like it contributes to the way technology limits the way we articulate our thoughts #soundslikeOrwell’s1984

On top of that, I feel like it only furthers the desire to depend and worry about how other people view us #IthoughtHighSchoolWasOver

Regardless of how I see Twitter, there is one amazing idea that is revolutionizing digital communication #hashtag

The hashtag is a godsend in a world where intonations and gestures are impossible to convey through text #communicativeconfusion

Emoticons try, but fall short #theonlypeoplethatlikethemarehighschoolgirlsandflirtyguys

A variety of other different nuances don’t really translate over text #goodbyeSarcasm

And phrases like LOL no longer legitimately express reactions like laughter #hopefullyitgetsphasedoutsoon

Then comes hashtag to the rescue #6wordstories

It allows you to put a concept or idea at the end of a sentence #likethis

While this isn’t necessarily its primary use, it is quickly becoming a tool of expression #theElectronicElixarToOurProblems

By finishing a sentence with an intended concept, the reader can more easily determine what the sender meant #re-empoweringlanguage

Also characteristics like the length of the hashtag imply tones #longonesoftenaccompanyjokes #shortISserious

While the mechanisms for how they are used are apt to change and vary #similarlytogestures

Slowly norms will probably form to stabilize something like a hashtag language #WooHooStability

The fact that communities like Twitter draw from such a large base will probably create a more static use #technologyshrinkstheworld

Different uses of hashtags and simply their presence empower the sender #pwrtotheppl

Hashtags are a variable that can give the same set of words different meanings #morecombinationsbetterselfexpression

The specifics of hashtag intonations are still in the “developmental” stages and still have a while before they become e-tones #BetaTesting

But I believe that if not solving the problem itself, hashtags are beginning the movement towards bringing depth to text #humaninnovation

(And yes all of these are legitimate tweet lengths, I had to check several of them, and it took surprisingly long for how concise they are #HemmingwayProblems)

-Phillip Nazarian

Getting Paid in College

2011-12-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

Should college athletes be paid or would that corrupt the system? In the recent years there have been various scandals where college athletes receive benefits illegally, such as Reggie Bush from USC and Terrelle Pryor from Ohio State. Bush received money from an agent while still in college which led to penalties for USC, and Terrelle Pryor received discounts and gifts in college, which is likely to lead to penalties for Ohio State. It has been calculated that the average college football player at a big-time college is worth about $120,000 to their college and the average basketball player is worth about $265,000. With many of these athletes coming from a background of poverty shouldn’t the players producing so much money for their university receive some financial reward?
Well clearly this topic is controversial and does not have a clear answer. There have been more and more reports and investigations into collegiate athletes receiving illegal benefits, which looks bad for the NCAA and college sports. Some believe that the best way to combat this is to create a legal way to pay the athletes. If athletes were paid, there would be more incentive to stay in school instead of going pro. For example, now some of the best college basketball players go to school for one year, play basketball, and leave school to play in the NBA. In fact, at semester schools, college basketball players that know they are going to the NBA can do the school work for one semester, then in the second semester not even attend class or do any work as they only need to complete one semester to remain eligible. That provides little education and just allows them to prepare for the next level. The ability to make money while in college for playing their sport would encourage athletes to stay longer and get more education.
Determining who would receive pay and how much they would receive would be difficult; however, it might also help provide more education. Athletes make their schools a lot of money…so why not give the ones working for the profit a share of it?

-Brett Doran

Why Community is the Lil B of TV Comedies

2011-12-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

In class, Phil discuss Lil B as the epitome of the Hegelian Dialectic in rap. Lil B was both thesis, antithesis and synthesis of all the qualities of modern day rap. As I listened to his argument, I couldn't help but think of translating the Hegelian dialectic to other things in the entertainment industry, and it became clear that one thing, above all others, was what i like to call "The Lil B of TV Comedies."

The show Community, is an NBC comedy created by Dan Harmon that first aired in September, 2009. Since its creation, it has attracted a relatively small but extremely devoted fan base (read: exactly like Lil B). By examining Community's through the Hegelian dialectic, we can see many more similarities.

Thesis: The show, like all TV comedies, is made to make a very wide-ranging audience laugh. It is full of both current and past pop-culture references, generic character arcs and expected diversity. It is easily ingestible, not overly thought-provoking, uses a laugh-track frequently, and its episodes are always only 30 minutes long. By watching one episode the viewer can easily tell that the show follows the same generic mold as every other TV sitcom.

Anti-thesis: However, Community, while buying into the generic mold, does so only to make fun of the mold itself. The fringe characters especially, are over-the-top stereotypes of pop-culture. There is one character whose only words in the entire series are "Pop-Pop!", one character who plays the role of "dean of the school" so over the top that it makes you re-question the sexuality (and sanity) of every principal/teacher you have ever had, one character (Abed) who seems to know that the audience is watching the show, and serves as a "go-between" between the audience and the characters. In addition, there is no central character, even though one actor was much more famous than the others when the show began (Joel McHale).

Synthesis: The real beauty of Community, however, lies in its ability to synthesize the thesis and antithesis without seeming hypocritical. In fact, the synthesis itself often becomes a punchline or part of the plot of the show, allowing the audience to fully enjoy the relaxing feeling of watching "just another TV sitcom," while also never getting bored du to the unexpected intricacies of the show.

Overall, it is clear that Community, while not enjoying incredibly high ratings, is one of the best shows on television due to its embracing of its role as the Synthesis of the Hegelian Dialectic as introduced to me in this class. You should all watch it, it's HILARIOUS!

Alon Elhanan

Breaking Dawn, Breaking the Box Office, and Breaking My Heart

2011-12-09T12:11:00.001-08:00

This Thanksgiving, teenage girls squealed in delight at the arrival of the fourth movie in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn: Part I. Over 3 million people lined up to root for “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” on opening night, hungering for the second to last installment of what has become an incredible cultural phenomenon. Though no vampire lover, I found myself dragged to the movie theater this Thanksgiving with my sister and cousin to see what all this Twilight fuss was about.

After sitting through two hours of hysteria from the young girls around me, I have a hard time wrapping my head around how the Twilight series has attracted such a mass following. The plotline, in my opinion, was hyped up without much real substance. While the events of the film keep the audience on its toes, there is no real character development. Kristin Stewart’s acting consists of her dramatic eye movements. She spends the majority of the film twitching her eyes this way and that to convey her teenage angst. Along with the poor acting, the disturbing events of the film, as well as its poor cinematic qualities left me wondering why films like “Twlight” have come to define our popular culture. What have we come to that millions of viewers flock to see Stewart blink and obsess over Robert Pattinson’s creepy, sparkling skin? Since when are vampires the sexy, new cultural trend?

As the film ended with Bella’s transformation from human to vampire, I left the theater perplexed. While I thought Breaking Dawn could quite possibly be the worst movie I have ever seen, all those around me could not stop expressing their excitement about how much they loved the movie. As a lover of what I would consider to be “real” films, I am heartbroken over how films like those in the “Twilight” series have come to dominate the movie industry. While I understand that “Breaking Dawn” grossed 3.7 million dollars just on opening night, the quality of film and art in general should not be compromised for financial gain. Along with “Breaking Dawn,” other poor quality films and TV shows seem to appeal to the masses the most today. Why our culture is obsessed with low quality entertainment, I do not know. The only thing I can say positively is that you will not see me lining up on opening night for “Breaking Dawn: Part II.”

2011-12-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Reality television seems to take it to the next level every year. This year Spike TV came out with my new favorite reality TV show: Repo Games. The premise is that a tow truck shows up to a house to repossess a car for unpaid loans, the contestant is then able to play a 5 question trivia game to win their car back. The reactions are priceless, and altogether brutal. From the excitement of having a chance to reclaim their car with no debt, to losing it again brings contestants to an emotional low.
Aside from the brutal emotions that come through during the show, there are also quite a few laughs. These are not traditional laughs. The jokes are not structured, there is nothing comedic about it at all actually. These laughs stem from the types of questions asked to the contestants. Often they will ask middle aged and older men questions about current pop culture, such as Lady Gaga. The reactions are priceless, and the answers comedic. This show is worth a watch.

-James Nagle

Black Friday

2011-12-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

The thundering sound of barbaric screams, the rumbling trembles of a thousand footsteps shaking the floor, all mixed in with the putrid odor of bodily sweat and the faintest traces of pepper spray. This isn’t a depiction of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots or the aftermath of a Vancouver hockey game—it’s Wal Mart on November 25, 2011. Every Friday after Thanksgiving, when most Americans are done enjoying a nice family meal, an eerie change begins to electrify the night. Some say it’s similar to a werewolf catching its first glance of the full moon. Others compare it Dr. Jekyll drinking his first freeing sip of potion. The only proper explanation we have for this lapse in sanity though is the lure of a sale. After the month of October, it seems to me that every possible form of media turns their attention to Black Friday. We watch news broadcasts giving us current updates and statistics from various stores, in between those broadcasts we watch seemingly relentless commercials advertising every possible product, our e-mails get spammed with hundreds of Amazon deals, and the side of almost every website we visit mentions some type of Black Friday special.

Despite my not-so-subtle feelings of resentment towards such a “holiday”, I too enjoy a good sale that saves me some money. While I do appreciate a simple sale, watching the events of this year’s Black Friday seemed to put a lot in perspective for me. People seemed to regress into their most primitive states when they were given the opportunity to purchase in excess at a cheaper price. The news was filled with stories of shoppers clawing at each other, women pepper spraying their neighbors to get their hands on an XBOX, and a vicious crowd of customers carelessly walking past the corpse of a man who had a heart attack in a store. During a time when our nation and even most of the world is dealing with problems of unprecedented magnitudes, we spend our month advertising and preparing for a day of complete overindulgence. Individuals are getting tear gassed and beaten for camping out and vocalizing their opinions, but the model consumer can occupy their local stores for days on end as long as they are pumping money out of their pockets. We can’t seem to get more than 50% of country to head out to voting booths one day of the year, but we can be sure that they’ll be at Best Buy at 3 a.m. in order to purchase the 52” plasma television. Like I said, I really do not mind a good sale, but I do believe that our country needs a little time to put its priorities in order.

-Henock Dory

HA HA HA

2011-12-09T02:55:00.001-08:00

They say laughter is the best medicine. I wanted to look into how this medicine could be distributed to a massive audience. I studied everything from Comedy Central to open mic night at the CoHo. I loved this research. Not only was I learning, but I haven't felt this healthy in months.
One aspect of comedy I looked into is delivery. A technique of delivery where the comedian says something that is not serious in a serious manner is called dead pan humor. The comic will stand in front of the audience, looking around, acting disinterested. They may look down, scratch their head, or take an awkward amount of time between jokes. I thought to myself, "this is so exciting!" I was overwhelmed. So I decided to give you a dose of the medicine that is dead pan humor.

*Do not watch if you are easily offended or aren't going to laugh.
**These are not my jokes
***filmed in front of a live studio audience
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pT4rUh07I8&feature=youtu.be

Hope you enjoyed my video, maybe even laughed a few times.

"He's hilarious" -everybody

-Eric Mochalski

Revolutionizing Television

2011-12-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

Growing up in the 1990’s, the television played just as big of a role in childhood as playgrounds or recess did. The television shows that were shown on the various youth channels, such as Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, are still prominent in my perception of child hood. Who does not remember liking the Rug-rats or Hey! Arnold? The shows were persistently on at a certain time, during a particular day of the week. But now that we have grown apart from our childhood fantasies of revolving our days, or even weeks around a show, we have come to drastically change the way in which television is watched as a generation.

The same kids that were obsessing over the comical cartoons are now obsessing over the finals that are approaching or the project due at work. The childhood method of watching television has even changed from 90’s. The television is no longer the only way, or even the most common way of watching shows by those in their late teens or early twenties. A laptop has replaced most stationary televisions. And the shows now are no longer on at a certain time or day. Online websites such as Hulu.com and Megavideo allow for the viewing of most shows through the web at anytime of the day, putting aside the legality of the act. We no longer have time to sit in front of a television in a specific location to watch what we want when we want. Most are on-the-go and do not have this kind of time, regardless of how badly it may be wanted. The days of “Doug” are no longer met in home living room, but maybe in the library in-between study sessions or in the dorm room at 3 in the morning.

In many ways our generation, along with the help of current technology and television transformation, has revolutionized they way in which we watch television. It should be interesting to watch what the next step for watching television for this generation. Will it relapse and once again become a daily routine as age creeps upon us, or will it transform into something completely new once again?

- Larry Reinhard

Vending Machine & It’s Audience: Personal Information in exchange for a Drink

2011-12-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

Vending machines have been like a friend who would exchange a drink for some coins. These machines serve to be the closest shop to get a drink wherever we go around the world. Hero of Alexandria invented the first vending machine in the first century that dispensed some water for a coin. Thomas Adams Gum Company created the first vending machine in the U.S. in 1888. Since then, vending machines have fed people with hot and cold drinks, snacks, ice creams, candies, DVDs, and even electronics. The types of vending machines vary specifically to attract the audiences the companies want. While many of us may not have thought too deeply about these machines, there have been many efforts to appeal to customers.

Now, starting in Japan the vending machines have taken new strides to collect personal information about their consumers to appeal to them much more personally. Japan has now installed new touchscreen vending machines all over Tokyo from 2010. These vending machines have a HD touchscreen to select your beverage, while a smart camera above the screen detects the customer’s age, gender, BMI, etc. in order to recommend certain drinks for that particular customer. The camera’s accuracy is about 75%, and the screens display various ads of drinks when there are no people standing in front of the machine. When you select a drink by touching the screen, it shows you the price, content of the drink, and other recommendations for the buyer. You can make your payment simply by putting your IC-embedded card near the IC-reader on the vending machine, or simply by using your NFC-incorporated (near field communication) cellphones. The vending machines are constantly collecting consumer data, and they are relating more personally to the audience every time you go buy a drink in front of the machines. What was once thought of as an ordinary service for everyone, is now thirsting for mass audience’s personal information.

- June Chung

Federer Stands Alone

2011-12-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

In 2004, Roger Federer topped the world tennis rankings and began an unprecedented reign of 237 weeks as number one. Since then, other superstar players have emerged, including Federer’s famous rival, Rafael Nadal, and most recently Novak Djokovic. Although Federer is still an active player at a high level, his accomplishments so far have already earned him the title of the Greatest Player of All Time.

This era of tennis has been sensational to watch. A large part of the reason is simply Federer’s grace and playing style. On the court, Federer glides around effortlessly and makes fantastic shots. As Todd Woodbridge once said, “Tennis is a beautiful sport and its greatest beauty is Roger Federer's play.” Off the court, Federer is a humble and classy humanitarian who was ranked second in a recent survey on the most trusted and respected people in the world (behind Nelson Mandela). These two factors have done a great deal in drawing many new spectators toward tennis, including myself.

For me, however, one of the most interesting things about Federer and his era is simply watching him shatter records. In mid-2009, he broke Pete Sampras’s record for most Grand Slam titles, a highly regarded metric of success. However, this only scratches the surface of what Federer has done. For someone interested in statistics and records, it’s fascinating to know whenever Federer steps on the court, he might be breaking another record.

My favorite statistic about Federer’s career, which illustrates how truly dominant and unique his era is, would be the number of successive Grand Slam finals. The old record was four, set by Andre Agassi. Federer’s own streak was cut in half by his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic in 2008 in Australia. How long were the two resulting streaks? Ten and eight.

- Renjie You

2011-12-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

Plus One System Gains a New Friend:

Another year of Bowl Championship Series (BCS) selections have been made and another year of discontent with the current system has begun to reign. Every year following the BCS selections, people lament that the system to determine the national champion should be better. There are people that have championed a full sixteen-team playoff and every idea in between, but the alternative to the BCS that seems to be gaining the most traction right now is called the “plus-one playoff.”

The Plus-One model has been discussed for an extended period of time and was actually brought before all of the conference leaders in a vote in 2008, but it did not gain the required amount of votes to pass. Since that vote, college football has changed dramatically and the grumblings of the fans have gotten significantly louder. It is important that the Big 12 commissioner has begun to support the plus-one system, because he had been one of two very staunch critics in the past (the other being the Big 10 commissioner Jim Delaney), because he was afraid it would create a loss of revenue for his conference.

The reason that conference commissioners seem closer to making a change to the plus-one system is due to the situation from this year’s BCS selections. Nobody is disputing LSU’s right to play in the national championship game, but there were 3 one-loss teams waiting right in the wings to play LSU. This is the perfect scenario for a plus one system where all four of these teams would have had an opportunity to play their way into the national championship. Right now all of the athletic directors and conference commissioners, except Jim Delaney, are showing support for the plus one. However, they all keep prefacing the change to a plus one system with the word “eventually,” so it seems that the fans will still have to wait some time before there is a fairer system for choosing who plays in the national championship of college football.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/12/06/plus-one-playoff/index.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/12/07/plus-one-support.ap/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a8&eref=sihp

By: The Sports Guru (Patrick McCullough)

Breaking Down Breaking Bad Good

2011-12-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

In the pilot episode of the American Movie Channel’s Breaking Bad, milquetoast high school chemistry teacher Walter White passes out at the car wash where he moonlights, and is rushed to the emergency room. Regaining consciousness in the ambulance, he tries to dissuade the medics from taking him to the hospital, mumbling, “I don’t have the best insurance plan.” If he had had any power to convince them to let him out, to halt the train of events hurtling toward him with all the force of inevitability, then there would be no show. But, as it must happen, the medics rebuff Walter’s pleas and deposit him in the emergency room, where he is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.

His condition changes him irrevocably and, in a response as psychologically defensive is as it is physically aggressive, he sets about changing everything else, quitting his car wash job in favor of cooking meth to pay for his treatments. In one scene he undergoes a bout of chemotherapy; in the next, he tyrannizes his juvenile partner or wins a perilous game of chicken with a deranged kingpin. The show tracks his evolution from timorous teacher to terrible drug trafficker but, unlike many popular works that take a villain as their protagonist, it is not in the business of excusing his actions. Walter’s rationalizing mantra that he does everything for his family is juxtaposed with its chronic dissolution at the hands of his secrecy and rampant risk-taking.

Holding the characters ruthlessly accountable for their actions, the writers bring a quality of realism to a fantastic story; and the superb actors acutely register the repercussions they face in their tones, manners and, most of all, in their expressions in long, awkward shots that follow with silence many of the show’s loud and explosive interactions. While the plot is a nail-biter, the real power of the show derives from these still moments, these moments of accounting, in which external forces clash with the characters’ internal fortitudes. With its incredible premise, Breaking Bad poignantly depicts the universal story of a man struggling against his fate.

-Hana Al-Henaid

Wanna Be On Top?

2011-12-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

-Megan Schwarz

America's Next Top Model (ANTM) is one of many successful reality television series that has helped define the genre. ANTM first premiered in 2003 (only eight years ago), and yet the show just completed its 17^th cycle, or season, on December 7, 2011. Yes, Tyra Banks has produced over two cycles of ANTM per year for the past eight years. This kind of success (measured solely by the number of seasons, not counting spin-offs) is almost unparalleled in the reality TV genre, even by shows like American Idol or The Bachelor. After 17 seasons, it seems like the series might begin to lose some of its popularity and fan base, but Tyra and the other producers of the show have found a some sort of magical formula that will continue to entertain fans for at least one more cycle.

Cycle 17 of ANTM is different from all of the other seasons because it is the “All-Star” cycle, meaning all of the participants were contestants from former seasons of the show. Bringing back former contestants is a risky decision for Tyra Banks, but ultimately I think her decision paid off. This cycle was clearly geared towards fans who have seen every cycle; in fact, the contestants are dubbed the “fan-favorites” from the other seasons. Bringing back former contestants means that fans immediately feel invested in the competition because they already “know” the participants, and the viewers do not feel like they have to spend the first three episodes of the season deciding for whom they want to root. However, bringing back previous contestants can alienate new viewers; the show introduces each contestant with brief flashbacks to their earlier time on the show, but there is still an expectation that the audience will recognize almost everyone. This is particularly an issue with contestants Shannon and Camille (from cycles 1 and 2, respectively) because they were on the show so long ago that it is very likely that many of the current fans of ANTM have not seen those seasons and therefore do not know who they are. Some of the audience may feel left out as a result, which can lead to lost viewership. On the other hand, this could also spur those members of the audience who do not recognize some former contestants to look them up and watch those cycles on their own time, which could actually increase viewership.

There is no way of knowing how the audience will react to bringing back former contestants, but the producers clearly decided that the potential benefits outweighed the potential negatives, and their calculated risk seems to have paid off. Cycle 17 was successful enough to lead to cycle 18, which is currently in the works, and Tyra Banks does not seem to be stopping there. I'm sure there will be many more seasons of America's Next Top Model in the coming years if the fans have anything to say about it.

Are We Really Here for the Music?

2011-12-08T01:49:00.000-08:00

One Sunday afternoon, I attended a Lively Arts event featuring the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the ensemble-in-residence at Stanford University.The concert repertoire included some music I was already very familiar with: Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in D Minor and Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No.15 in G Major. In fact, I had already seen the quartet perform one of these pieces a while back. Most of the time I decide to buy concert tickets, it’s usually to experience the music, whatever it is, and the musicians, whoever they are, in a live concert hall. But this time, it was different. When some of my friends from my music theory class had planned to go to this event together as a group, I couldn’t miss out. It wasn’t required for the class or anything, but I just felt like I had to be part of it. I’ve attended numerous classical music concerts so I know when I am really going for the music or the musicians. But this time, it wasn’t that.

When I arrived at the concert hall, I went through the usual protocol (although it has never been formally or officially established, everyone is pretty familiar with the concert etiquette): after being seated at the designated spot as indicated on my ticket, I perused the program notes and shared some conversations with my friends and other audience members nearby. Shortly after, the lights dimmed to signal the starting of the concert as well as to remind everyone to turn off our cellphones and watches. The audience soon fell silent and the quartet appeared on stage accompanied by our applause. After bowing and tuning their instruments, they began playing music. As expected, the audience remained silent for the duration of the program.

As described above, this is what goes on during a classical music concert. Sadly to admit, there’s really nothing exciting about the experience. Typically for two hours, we are to have our eyes fixed on stage, listening to the music and applauding here and there at the end of each piece. Really, there’s nothing we could contribute but simply our attention to what has been prepared for us by the musicians. Most of the time as I have mentioned before, I am there to really enjoy the music and the sight of live performance, but at times, there are other reasons as to why I find myself undergoing such a stultifying experience. It’s the people around me.

If it weren’t for my friends that day, I probably would have never planned on attending the concert. I find myself simply being in the audience more satisfying than experiencing the music. The bigger the concert venue, more fulfilling that is. Seeing more people dressed up for the occasion, I feel more committed to the experience. Could this perhaps mean concert attendance has other meanings and purposes besides experiencing live music? Indeed, sometimes I find myself being there for other reasons, such as to tell others of my music interests, to gain other attendees’ acknowledgement of my presence, and to verify my music knowledge and tastes. Classical music concert audience is known to have higher socioeconomic status than other music genre’s audience. Perhaps, we confirm our social position in the larger community through our attendance at these events. By letting each other in the audience know that we are there, we validate our class, identity, and social culture.

When I go back home for winter break, my friends and I have decided to attend an orchestra concert together. For me, this is one way to catch up with them- to remind each other of our musical preferences and interests, to tell them I still belong to the classical music group, to renew my position in that world.

Twhoops! Celebrity Bloopers on Twitter

2011-12-08T01:47:00.000-08:00

by Laura Potter

Celebs these days have it so good. They live stylish, fabulous lives and have millions of adoring fans worldwide who pay to buy their music, go to their movies, and promote them into even bigger deals than they already are in popular culture. Social media websites like Facebook and Twitter serve as online platforms for audiences to engage with these stars on a "personal" level...or as personal as it's ever going to get with A-listers. With all the potential wrapped up in these sites, you'd expect celebs to make the most this extra beam of online limelight. Evidently, it's easier said than tweeted.

When a celeb thoughtlessly types out a 160-character-or-less snapshot of his glamorous life, he may not always be thinking about how he has his mass audience literally at his fingertips. If he slips up and angers his fans with so much as one insensitive tweet, his reputation - indeed, his entire career - could take a huge blow. We recently saw this occur in the case of Ashton Kutcher, and many other celebrity Twitterers have made similar slip-ups in the past as well. Calling all clueless celebrities! (i)Pads and pencils at the ready: it's time to take notes on some of the major faux pas and "Twhoops!" moments in celebrity tweeting to come up with a "do"s and "don't”s list for today's celebritwitty population:

#1: The First Lesson Learned from Ashton Kutcher – Stay Well-Informed
Ashton wields so much online influence on sites like Twitter that the LAPD once asked him to tweet about an upcoming closure of the freeway so that L.A. residents would have fair warning. Today, he is lying low, his days of freely posting to his Twitter account a painful repressed memory, as he tries to escape the furious reactions of thousands of Twitter followers to his uninformed post protesting the firing of Penn State coach Joe Paterno. To prevent mishaps like these (especially when your tweets reach over eight million people, as Ashton’s do), it would be highly advisable to gather the facts and think before you tweet.

#2: The Second Lesson Learned from Ashton – Don't Delete the Tweet
Realizing his error, Ashton deleted the offending post but by then it was already too late. In fact, it was the worst thing he could have done, according to TheNextWeb’s West Coast Editor Drew Olanoff in an interview for The Hollywood Reporter. "He misspoke, OK, fine, he's human. The social media mistake was that he deleted the tweet -- then he did apologize, which is great -- then, he erratically wrote that he’s not going to tweet for a while until he had a solution.” What have we learned from Ashton’s gaffe? Don’t shy away from your mistake! Hiding from angry Twitter followers by sweeping the evidence under the rug is not only going to fail epically since the damage has already been done, but also not going to solve any problems. Besides, getting rid of the tweet makes you look like a bit of a coward.

#3: The Final Lesson Learned from Ashton – Own Up When You Screw Up
As Olanoff mentioned, if Ashton did do one thing right in this whole mess, it was to apologize for his insensitive comment in his next tweet. Simply deleting the post and evading public scrutiny entirely without any recognition of his wrongdoing would have been even more condemning for Ashton. He showed that he at least cared about his mistake, which allowed for a slightly more graceful retreat from Twitter than if he had just up and left.

#4: The Lesson Learned from Kanye West – Imma Do Me
Huh? Kanye, really? Yes, my doubting readers, Kanye has something of value to teach us as well. This lesson might be better entitled "Kanye West vs. The World." Kanye is one of those rare examples where outlandish, rude Twitter posts (not to mention similar behavioral tendencies in his day-to-day life) work to his advantage. For example, after a Today Show interview with Matt Lauer left Kanye feeling ambushed, the infamous rapper cancelled an upcoming performance and took refuge in Twitter, accusing the show of being a "set up." He's also tweeted that superstars like Lily Allen or Britney Spears are, in fact, "gold diggers." Except for his one really badly received blunder at the 2009 VMA's when he simultaneously offended Taylor Swift and most of the planet, Kanye has remained a highly successful rap artist. He recovered from that mistake by apologizing to the wronged party, but unlike most celebrities, Kanye is usually accepted by both his fans and his haters as a ridiculous persona from whom such behavior is accepted, even if it is not acceptable.

However, if you're not Kanye West, you should probably play it a bit safer on the social networking site. Twitter has the potential for promotion and happy fan-celebrity interactions, but careless tweets can also cause a great deal of damage. While Ashton’s story cautions us, Kanye reminds us that it is okay to be ourselves online. Whether you are an infamous celebrity or just another average Joe trying to make your way through cyberspace, maintaining your voice as a Twitter or other social networking site user is key for a successful experience. Cross as many lines as you like (it’s clearly working for Kanye) but make sure you do so consciously and responsibly.

How I Met Everyone Else: How I Met Your Mother’s Extended Success

2011-12-07T16:43:00.001-08:00

The popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother is now in its seventh season, with an eighth season already announced. But the very idea of a show called How I Met Your Mother running for seven or eight years just seems absurd. How can you sustain a narrative around a single meeting? How can you maintain interest in a show where the most anticipated and promised even is pushed back by years? And of course, has he met the mother yet?

The main character (and the titular “I”) is Ted Moseby. The show follows him and his closest friends – Marshall, Lily, Barney, and Robin – as they go through life in New York City. We see the daily ups and downs of life and the romantic adventures of the group. Through it all, however, we still have (probably) not met the mother. We do know, however, a lot of details about her; Ted meets her at Barney’s wedding, Ted has dated her roommate, Ted accidentally stole her yellow umbrella once, etc. This exemplifies most of the audience’s interaction with the mother; we are periodically given subtle hints about the mother and the audience loves to guess what these hints mean.

These hints actually illustrate how the show has maintained interest over the past seven years. Just as How I Met Your Mother develops the storyline of the mother through subtle clues, it uses them to open up new storylines; How I Met Your Mother is chock full of clues and references for the audience to pore over, even in areas completely unrelated to how Ted meets the mother. And through these hints, the show can develop new and just as interesting storylines: the possibility of Barney, a serial womanizer, getting married before Ted or the idea of Robin, a workaholic who hates family, becoming a mother. Combined with incredible acting and a hilarious script, How I Met Your Mother has thereby been able to thrive for the past seven years without introducing one of the titular characters.

-Rohan Puttagunta

Modern Family: After the Fire Under Fire

2011-12-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

Another episode of Modern Family only means another twenty-one minutes of hysteric laughter with a punch of meaningful life lessons. Modern Family’s eighth episode of their third season, After the Fire, was no different; it was saturated with quick-witted humor and ironic circumstances that always seem to put the characters into some sort of a bind. However, something about the way that this episode spoke out was unique and not in a good way.

The typically clear and enrapturing plot line was thrown away in a choppy, multidirectional plot that strayed away from a concise and engaging story. Yes, Modern does enjoy employing separate plot lines that are closely connected and ironic, yet in this episode the effort came off as forced. The underlying story of Claire Dunphy and Gloria Pritchet rallying together to help out the neighbors after their house burned down was lost in the frenzy of Jay hurting his back, Luke and Manny stealing a toy helicopter, Cam, Haley, and Alex driving a moving van, Mitchell and Claire talking smack about Gloria, and the developments of those stories as well. Seems hard to track it all, doesn’t it? Well just try to watch the episode without mixing up whose doing what, where, when, and why.

Nevertheless, there was something redeeming about this episode: the fact that Modern Family still retained its quick-witted, bantering humor among the characters. All of the characters always have their minor quarrels that erupt into larger, more awkward debacles and this episode followed the same amusing scheme. Yet, there was, again, something obscure that didn’t resonate right within this episode. The playful banter with the characters constant criticism of one another was unoriginal and stole from other episodes and seasons. I often thought to myself while watching if for some reason this episode acted as a culmination of typical jokes among the characters and that the writer felt would help establish the stereotypes of the characters more. This becomes readily apparent within the first 5 minutes when Claire gossips about Gloria’s accent and mocking her “snickersnackers”. Just after she explains to Mitchell, “That’s what we do; when Gloria says something silly we innocently laugh behind her back.” It sounded awkward and out of place when she pointed out the audience; it seemed like a corny effort to jump out at the crowd to remind them why her character is funny. Claire’s example of “explaining why she’s funny” fell through with most every character as they went through their personas and described them through humor.

As an adamant “Modern” fan, it was disappointing to see how this episode panned out. I wish that After the Fire didn’t have to come under too much fire and fortunately the next episode restored all that was normal in the realm of Modern Family.

By: Grant Delgado

2011-12-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRXjqpfOnS0

Whats Goin on...
-by Jonah Mowry

This is definitely a work of art. Setting the naysayers aside, I truly believe the video is legitimate. On the surface we see a young 8th grade boy names Jonah Mowry who tells his story via poorly written postcards. His story is emotional, moving, and extremely relevant to today. Jonah is a victim of bullying and mental trauma. On one postcard he exclaims, “A lot of people hate me... I don’t know why... But i gues i do. Cuz I kinda hate me too...”
Jonah’s story is very typical of younger kids. Victims of bullying are often driven to negative introspection, and they blame themselves. I think Jonah’s video has a great message: at the end he says, “I’m not going anywhere... I have a million reasons to be Here.” His story is a powerful appeal to our inner self, a call for all those who have been bullied to stand up and believe in themselves. People will always try to make themselves feel better by knocking us down. It is up to us to get back up.

2011-12-06T17:54:00.002-08:00

9GAG.com => one more soul lost.

I’d like to introduce a relatively new sensation of the Internet that is addicting people from different age groups and countries: Internet Memes.

Lets start with the basics.
What is a meme?
A meme is defined as an element of a culture or behavior that may be passed from one individual to another by non-genetic means.
O.K. Then what are Internet memes?
An Internet meme is an idea that is propagated online. A meme can be a video, picture, website referencing various ideas, feelings and situations.

Making long story short: It is the new addiction of students that hinders them from starting studying .

But actually what does this website have for you inside?

9Gag.com is an open webpage for people to upload interesting compilations of images from various resources to visualize an idea or a funny situation that people can relate to.
However, trying to categorize all the memes would be arduous. But more importantly, it would be against the nature of the memes because they are unpremeditated in their nature and their sources.
Only attempting to categorize in order to express the gist of these memes, I can say there are 3 main types of memes in terms of the format:
1-Rage faces: These are small comics of some facial expressions. Some these graphics came to include some of the particular facial expressions of celebrities. i.e. Yao Ming’s “Careless” face. These are all facial expressions that people have witnessed and expressed before. Moreover, these are the expressions that the audience probably would have expressed if they were in the situation portrayed.

2- Poster formats: These are posters with an upper and a lower caption with a certain image that is well known at the center.
In some instances, the lower caption defies or provides a different view to the statement made in the upper caption, thus stimulating the brain in a way that clever jokes do. As some of these center images become more popular in the cyber-realm, people create series of that character (center image) in different situations.
3. Interesting posts: These are random images or videos from all around the globe that are deemed interesting, may it be a creative teapot design or, an everyday picture with a different caption that provides a totally new outlook on the issue. Another form that I may classify under this tittle is the form in which various scenes from movies, or pictures are compiled to provide an absurd visualization of a humorous idea or a situation.

Memes are interesting and addictive in the sense that they stimulate the brain like witty jokes do.

There are a couple of points that I’d like to highlight about 9Gag.com aside from the amusing uploads. First of all, since 9Gag.com is an open website, people can comment on them, through their Facebook accounts, and delve into an international group of people that appreciate these comics of the decade. Only to add to this, since the posts are updated relatively fast, this provides a basis for people to talk about new posts.

All in all, this is simply another platform for people to connect on a certain type interest. Moreover, since usually these memes are about generally well known topics, or situations that we also have been in or may be in, it seems interesting that we have so much common with other people around the globe about what they would do or how they would react. Here is one of the recent examples from fellow students all around the globe, sharing our distress with finals.

by Kaan Erdogdu

The controversy of the BCS

2011-12-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

College football is a very large aspect of our society today. With the season coming to a close, the BCS will select the top teams to play in the national championship. Criticism of the BCS began with its inception. The BCS utilizes a system where a formula determines team rankings, and then the top two teams are selected to play in the national championship. Many people make enemies with the BCS simply because they are opposed to the idea of a computer selecting the best teams. A computer can’t take into account any of the intangibles relating to a football season. These intangibles may include, injuries, suspensions, outside controversies distracting the team, and many more. Furthermore, the national championship should be a game between the current best two teams. However, the BCS computer rankings take into account an average of each game played. It a team began their season in a slump, but ended up playing like the best team, their chances of making the championship are miniscule because of the beginning of their season. The BCS is very unforgiving that offers little room for error.

That being said, the BCS remains in effect today. Some people suggest a playoff system similar to the NFL to determine the national champion, but this method is difficult due to the time restrictions(length of season) of college athletes. Until someone can implement an effective alternative, the BCS will continue to cast its shadow on college football. This year LSU will play Alabama in the national championship, but Oklahoma State was a close contender to play in this game due to their impressive performances late in the season. With a playoff season Oklahoma State might be playing in the national championship, but they will try to bloke these distracting thoughts as they take on the Stanford Cardinal in what is considered the next best game, the Fiesta Bowl.

-Jamin Ball

2011-12-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

“Show me the Money!!” This phrase, made famous by the 1996 football film Jerry Maguire, has never been more applicable to the world of sports. In the movie, Rod Tidwell (played by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is an eccentric NFL player disgruntled by the terms of his contract who stands by his agent, Jerry Maguire (played by Tom Cruise), even after he is fired from Sports Management International (SMI). In return for his loyalty, Tidwell demands that Maguire “show him the money” by getting him a new, more lucrative contract. As the movie progresses, Tidwell learns to let his passion for the game of football, rather than a desire for money alone, fuel his success on the field which, of course, ultimately brought with it the financial success he desired.

This past week, the five month long NBA Lockout drew to a close. Owners and players have finally agreed on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), allowing a shortened season to begin on Christmas Day. For months, negotiations between owners and players were stalled regarding terms of the new agreement, especially as to what percentage of Basketball Related Income (BRI) each side would be entitled. While everyone from the owners and players to fans to local businesses are excited, and rightly so, about the return of the NBA, the lockout highlighted a fact that will not soon be forgotten by fans; in matters of sports, money trumps passion for the game. This simple truth, logically speaking, should not come as a shock. After all, aren’t regular paychecks just about the only reason most people find the energy to go to work every day? Nonetheless, the lockout, viewed by many as a petty squabble between millionaires and billionaires, has resulted in a diminished respect for the game of basketball. As fans, we like to feel that athletes are a pure embodiment of the competitive nature that lies deep within all of us (no matter how often we may have to suppress it in the name of civility). We like to pretend that they are not athletes at all, but fearless warriors stepping onto the battlefield, hungry for victory and unyielding in their quest for dominance and glory. From the perspective of the fan, it is this unrelenting passion that lies at the core of sports. When players say they won’t compete until owners “show them the money” and vice versa, the fan’s imaginary world comes crashing down. Behind every idealized warrior lies a regular person. Behind every suit of armor, a well-tailored business suit. Coming off of one of the most successful seasons it has ever had, the NBA needs to take a lesson from Rod Tidwell and focus on a love of the game rather than money in order to regain fans’ loyalty. Forget money, show us the passion!!

-Leith Hathout

A Seriously Silly Defense of The Twilight Saga

2011-12-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

Say what you will, but with the premiere of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn giving movies like Avator a run for their money in box office, it’s time to face it: Twilight has taken over. Well, at least the pre-teen, adolescent, and (though it pains me to say) collegiate female population. I don’t mean to over-exaggerate but there is some truth to the claim that the Twilight Saga has become an obsessive phenomenon. However, as an engaged member of the Twilight audience I’m beginning to wonder to what extent my and my female peers’ obsession with Twilight is justified, albeit healthy. So as my sorority sisters got all dolled up to camp out for the Breaking Dawn midnight premiere, I asked them: Why do we love Twilight so much? The answers were pretty typical: ideal romance, love that defies all rules, extremely attractive actors and personal experiences about how the books and movies helped to cope with a depressing situation. But really, what is it about Twilight that makes teenage girls squeal?

Luckily, none of my friends react to Twilight like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vqmILSKfew

One doesn’t have to be a “twi-hard” to love Twilight though. So I sent out a survey to my sorority, my two dance groups and my sister and her sorority at UCLA. I know this is an extremely biased sample, but that’s the point: these are college-educated, book smart, driven and rational girls who go gaga over Edward Cullen and Taylor Lautner’s abs. I mean to be this extreme to prove that we’ve breached casual interest in the books and movies and are now evolving into a legitimate obsession. Or, according to my survey results, an addictive guilty pleasure.

Here are my results: the girls prefer the books to the film adaptations, 83% to 17%. As to which book or movie was the favorite, there was no clear answer. However, progressively fewer girls rolled out to see the movies as the film series progressed, whereas girls consistently continued to read the novels as the saga was published. In the written responses, girls repeatedly mentioned the books and movies being “cheesy,” “entertainment,” and making them “wish for a relationship like Edward and Bella.” My personal favorite; one sixth of the entries somehow referred to how hot Taylor Lautner is without his shirt on. There was a pretty explicit divide in the general conclusion: either the books and movies were too ridiculous to be appreciated beyond silly fantasies in which we can vicariously live the perfect relationship or the content was too outrageous and offensive to have credibility in a society of empowered and independent women.

So why do we love Twilight? From what I’ve gathered, girls use it as an escape. While reading the books we’re “captivated” by the simple plot and become “immersed” in the characters and the ideals the novels attempt to express. We lose the liberty of our personal imagination and ideals when we watch the movies, but at that point we’re already consumed by the attractive actors on screen. Twilight helped me get through a bad break-up, it helped my friend and her step-sister bond for the first time, and it helped to give hope to a huge audience of young hopeless romantics. In this context, I’m willing to forgive the absurdity that is Twilight obsession. I’m willing to overlook how ridiculous our love of Twilight is as long we realize that we can’t take ourselves seriously when it comes to Edward and Bella. To quote my friend, “Ooooooh Twilight.”

(To see my full survey results, check out: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/gform?key=0AnkofKOS5ht9dHE0ZEoyamFRSGdta0JkSnJJTVNucGc&hl=en_US&gridId=0#chart)

by Danna Seligman

Success of Thanksgiving Live! Driven by Use of Social Media

2011-11-29T16:30:00.001-08:00

This year, the Food Network decided to host a special show, Thanksgiving Live!, to celebrate the holiday feast. The two-hour premier was hosted by the renowned Alton Brown on November 20^th from 12 PM to 2 PM, and it featured many of the popular Food Network personalities including Ted Allen, Sunny Anderson, Anne Burrell, Melissa d’Arabian, Bobby Flay, Alex Guarnaschelli and Rachael Ray. The idea behind the show was that it would facilitate a question and answer session to prepare viewers for the holiday cooking; viewers would ask questions and the Food Network stars would answer. Most interesting, however, was how the show depended upon forms of social media to solicit questions from its viewers.

Thanksgiving Live! relied primarily on FoodNetwork.com to advertise and seek out questions for the show. A blog post on the homepage read, “From solutions to dry turkey and lumpy gravy to Food Network stars demonstrating helpful tips and delicious recipes, experts will be on hand to address perennial problems.” But that was not all. The show also took advantage of YouTube and posted an informative promotion video (click the link below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2kzOq7ppms

Finally, the show’s producers used their FoodNetwork.com blog post to explain the process of how to ask a question to be answered on Thanksgiving Live! It specified that people could use a variety of social media applications. They could comment with their questions on the advertising blog post, Facebook, Twitter or email specified contact information to thanksgivinglive@foodnetwork.com so that Thanksgiving Live! producers could contact them to set up a Skype video conference or phone call. Ultimately, social media drove the show.

Shown below is a link to the blog for Thanksgiving Live!

http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2011/10/18/thanksgiving-live-questions/

The fact that there are 3,103 posts to the blog confirms the success of the show’s marketing and solicitation of questions through an online forum. After watching the show myself, I can validate that the Skype broadcasts, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets and phone calls were all equally successful.

This Thanksgiving Live! phenomenon hints at the future of social media’s limitless capabilities and applications.

Teens with Super Powers: A Review of Television Show "Misfits"

2011-11-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

You may think Misfits is just another show about a group of troubled teens that have to deal with the hardships of teenage love, the law, and just about any other issue that kids these days experience. That is, until you find out that of the five main characters, one can turn invisible, one can read peoples’ minds, one can teleport through time, one can make any individual desire sex more than anything in the world, and one can…well, you’ll have to finish season 1 to find that power out.

Described as a science-fiction-comedy-drama, the 2010 BAFTA (British Academy Television Award, aka the British version of an Emmy) award winner for Best Drama Series involves five community service offenders who gain the aforementioned powers after being struck by an electrical storm. Soon after, a flurry of unlikely events unite the group of misfits – best friends are made, lovers finally unite, and people are murdered.

And when I say lovers unite and people are murdered, I mean a whole lot of sex and a whole lot of killings happen. I’m not sure if all British shows are like Misfits, but the material is definitely not suitable for children. The nature of the material also extends to the show’s humor; Misfits is a very entertaining, albeit crude show, which I’m afraid adults may not find very humorous.

From the perspective of a college student, however, I found the show entertaining enough for me to catch up to the show’s currently running third season in only a few weeks time. While some of the characters fit stereotypical archetypes, such as the inappropriate troublemaker Nathan or pretty promiscuous girl Alisha who wishes she wasn’t, I came to truly care about the lives of the five misfits throughout the series. I particularly enjoyed actor Robert Sheehan, who is hilarious as the highly inappropriate Nathan, as well as Iwan Rheon, whose character Simon undergoes the most radical transformation throughout the series.

While there’s a lot to like, there are definitely some areas that will turn people off. The show gets very sci-fi in the second season as time-travel gains a more prominent role, which leaves a very large plot hole near the end of the season that fans still have no explanation for. Furthermore, the show can get weird at times. And when I say weird, I mean a teenager inadvertently having sex with an 80 year old, a girl falling in love with a gorilla, and a kid with the power to control milk going on a killing rampage by controlling the dairy inside people. While these are slightly less weird as they sound in the context of the show, many people may be turned off by the sheer ludicrousness of some of the situations the misfits find themselves in.

Nevertheless, I can’t help but recommend Misfits. It’s a funny and creative show with endearing characters. While the sci-fi may get a bit out of hand at times, teens and college students will be able to relate to the main characters and will appreciate the scenarios they end up in…well, hopefully they won’t relate to the gorilla lover.

- Jordan Segall

Season of the Assassin: The First Step in Vinnie Paz’s Emotional, Political, and Social Maturation

2011-11-24T22:15:00.001-08:00

Sicilian-Americanrapper VincenzoLuvineri (better known as Vinnie Paz) is often regarded as the angriestman in all of rap. Needless to say, Vinnie has earned this title quite understandablygiven his violent lyrics and heavily political themes throughout his 20+ yearmusical career. Starting off as a member of the Philly based underground hiphop duo Jedi Mind Tricks, Vinnie quickly gained a reputation as a musicaloutsider with his conspiracy theory-ridden album ThePsycho-Social, Chemical, Biological, And Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of HumanConsciousness. Thisreputation was only confirmed throughout the next decade of lyrical bravado,political frustrations, and personal lamentation that characterizedhis next six albums with Jedi Mind Tricks. Even a quick glance over the tracksfrom albums like A History of Violenceand Legacy of Blood is enough to confirmthese speculations, with lyrics like “I’m a warmonger I never explorepassively” and “The bullets splatter through your spleen and guts” examples ofsome of the milder and less profane lyrics you are likely tocome across in these works. These somewhat childish outbursts of violence andlyrical arrogance (“If it’s coming from my jaw then it’s pure anger”) may havevery well been due to Vinnie’s own experiences with depression and suicidalthoughts, highlighted by his underground classic Razorblade Salvation, wherein he addresses a formal apology to hismother for writing a letter to her describing his planned suicide.

Asseemingly immature as Vinnie’s lyricism was throughout much of his early work,his debut solo album Season of theAssassin represents a level of musical growth that had been formerly lacking.What’s miraculous is that the album is just as politically charged and audiblyfrustrated as even his earliest albums with Jedi Mind Tricks. The single End of Days begins samples a speech describing“the chasm between what we’re told is going on and what is really going on” toset the stage for a track that enumerates a long list of political and economicconspiracy theories. Similarly, the truly Vinnie-esque theme of lyricalviolence is conserved in tracks like BadDay, Nosebleed, and Washed in the Blood of the Lamb which arefilled with explicit physical threats and lavish self-praise. But despite thiscontinuity with older works, what sets apart Season of the Assassin is Vinnie’s ability to branch out to thesubtleties of human emotion rather than the one-dimensional barrage of rage andconfusion that was a hallmark of his early musical career. In Keep Movin’ On Vinnie pairs with asomber-sounding Shara Worden to deliver a true masterpiece that empathizes withthe plight of factory workers and war veterans who have lost their jobs and areleft with no support for their families. For once Vinnie chooses to put asidehis penchant for controversial political conspiracies and address the empiricalrealities of the world from which he came. In a similar showcase ofsensitivity, Vinnie delivers a heartwarming dedication to his step father in hisrather uncharacteristic track, Same Story.Here, Vinnie expresses his utmost respect for his step father’s treatment ofVinnie’s mother and exhibits an unprecedented level of lyrical sorrow (“I wasnervous, I was crying and really distraught”) at his step father’s poignant earlydeath. Tracks like these are perhaps symbolic of a new, post-Jedi Mind TricksVinnie Paz who, through his rap, has risen to higher levels of lyrical maturityand has found greater control over the more nuanced elements of human emotion.

--Amin Aalipour

Black Thursday: The New Thanksgiving?

2011-11-24T12:31:00.001-08:00

As Black Thursday joins the ranks of Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, Thanksgiving Day more than ever seems like the mere onset of the largest shopping extravaganza of the year. Since early last week, TV stations, websites, magazines, and newspapers have headlined where to go and what to buy in search of the best deals on flatscreen TVs, iPads, refrigerators, boots, Hot Wheels, and Justin Bieber limited-edition holiday fragrance sets, to name a few (e.g. #BlackFriday, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/black-friday-2011--deals-from-walmart--target--best-buy-and-more.html).

The traditional day after Thanksgiving shopping bonanza has its roots in the 1924 NYC Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; department stores in particular hosted parades to launch the start of the Christmas Shopping season. Then, in 1966, police in Philadelphia coined the term “Black Friday” to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic as crazed shoppers rushed to malls and shopping centers (a literal shop till you drop). An alternative explanation was later offered: “Black Friday” indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit as they go from “in the red” to "in the black". For many years, it was common for retailers to open at 6:00 a.m., but in the late 2000s, many had crept to 5:00 or even 4:00 to offer door buster deals. In 2011, this full-contact sport, a cross between bullfighting and football (see video below), has been taken to a new extreme. Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, and Macy’s, among other retail giants have decided to start their holiday sales as early as 9 p.m. tonight. This weekend alone is excepted to bring in an estimated 134 million shoppers and $40 billion in sales.

According to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN1UH5RxcjQ, starting last night, people have already pitched tents to wait for the hyper-consumerism to start. Call me crazy, but I much prefer to spend today being thankful and celebrating with my friends and family. Today and for the rest of the weekend, I am plan to #partylikethepilgrims, go into a #foodcoma, watch lots of football, and gorge on turkey and pumpkin pie. However you plan on celebrating today--whether shopping, pitching a tent, cooking, or eating to your heart's content--Happy Thanksgiving!

-Catherine Hsieh

In case you missed the American Music Awards ...

2011-11-20T23:46:00.001-08:00

In the spirit of the tracks that makes up our iTunes, here is a recap of tonight's American Music Awards:

Winner: Nicki Minaj! She rocked the opening set with David Guetta, and her outfit certainly did not disappoint (who says you can’t have speakers covering your more prominent body parts?). After her high-voltage performance, she slowed the pace down during her walk to the stage after being awarded her first AMA. Maybe she should have avoided high heels that are lofted higher than the beds in our freshman dorms. Hope she didn’t sprain those ankles too many times! We also learned that her mother now has a publicist and will be releasing a gospel album (talking about her haterzz?) in the near future. Go Mrs. Minaj, what a champ!

Loser: Justin Beiber! Nobody told J-Beibs that it’s a bit weird to be singing Christmas carols in a spacesuit before Thanksgiving. He didn’t even get a nomination for Artist of the Year—you can bet that the producers of the show are going to be getting some serious hate mail from tweens out there.

Winner: Chris Brown. It’s a pretty sweet deal when you get a spot to perform on the show and aren’t even expected to sing. The time he spent lip syncing wasn’t even long enough to get on the list of #ThingsLongerThanKimKardashian’sMarriage. No worries though, the ensuing dancing more than made up for it.

Loser: Pittbull is the creepiest live performer I have ever seen. Talk about a face that should stick to radio …

Definitely a boyfriend you bring home to your family.

Winner: Jennifer Lopez. After her very public breakup everyone wanted to see how she would perform at the AMAs. I was a bit thrown off when she came out in a cape and started sniffling … is she going to cry on live TV!? But the joke was on us: she quickly threw off the cape to reveal a … well honestly I didn’t know where her outfit started or ended (but it really conveyed the rationale behind the $27 million insurance policy she took out on her butt--or is that just an urban legend?). Things got a bit strange when her spot turned into a Fiat advertisement (do you really expect us to believe that you feel like driving a Fiat all around the AMA stage?). But she quickly won the crowd back by losing a piece of clothing after each song. She also moves faster in her heels than Usain Bolt does in the 100 meter dash.

Loser: Is Hot Chelle Rae’s acceptance speech tattooed on his chest?

Better wear a v-neck in case the teleprompter fails!

Winner: Katy Perry. No one knew the song she was performing, and she still got a standing ovation! She also became the first female artist to have five number ones off a single album, not bad.

Winner: Does Bruno Mars actually look younger than Justin Beiber? Maybe, but it doesn’t matter because Bruno Mars won best pop male artist, which happened to be his first AMA.

Winner: Taylor Swift killed it—she won every award she was nominated for. By the end of the night, she had won her tenth AMA, including the award for Artist of the Year. When it was all said and done, the acceptance speech ‘oh my god!’ count was higher than the award count, but let’s be real, how can we hate on T-Swift?

Loser: Old Navy. The clothing brand tried to sponsor LMFAO’s headline act at the end of the show. They can try, but something tells me they won’t be making it onto the official Party People wardrobe line any time soon.

Winner: LMFAO! How can not love a group that busts out the sponge bob boxers in the middle of their performance? That being said, it was a bit weird to see David Hasselhoff join the party … in the same boxers.

#classy

(by Javier Guinard)

A Taste of THE HUNGER GAMES: A Look at the Trailer & The Phenomenon

2011-11-16T20:35:00.001-08:00

A young adult series suddenly reaching a massive audienceand then getting turned into a blockbuster movie: sound familiar?

Meet: The Hunger Games. In this series of three novels, KatnissEverdeen, a particularly unlikable protagonist, sets off to participate in anannual event called the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a gruesome spectacle inwhich two children from each “district,” like a state, are forced to fight tothe death until only one reminds. In theend, Katniss finds that her opponents are not only the other 23 competitors,but the Empire itself. The books themselvesreceived widespread popularity, if not memorable critical acclaim. And soon, these books will become movies –all starting with The Hunger Games,set to debut in theaters March, 2012. The following is a trailer for the movie.

I’m beyond trying to compare a set of books to its Hollywoodinterpretation. Although the desire tocompare is tempting, the reality is this: the books and the movies have twooverlapping but different audiences. Die-hard fans will only read the books. Casual fans and non-readers will only watch the movies. But young adultliterature enthusiasts, dystopian fiction fans, and those like me – with atendency to obsess over fictional worlds delivered in series (I have to admitmy bias and say I read books sometimes only because they come in series) – willread the books, see the movies, participate in the online buzz surrounding thenew release, know all the names of the actors for the characters, complainwhere the book deviates from the movies, complain that Katniss is portrayed astoo pretty, re-read the books again, and then one more time to pass the time, downloadthe soundtrack before it’s even released… what? Oh, right, anyway.

The internet is a great place to snoop for details about theupcoming movie, and I’ve been doing just that. I was disappointed in the casting, unsatisfied by the love triangle portrayal,unsure of how the violence would be depicted… in short, I was furious. I even considered going to see the movie thenight of the release instead of the midnight showing, which I consider to bethe ultimate insult. But then… then Isaw the trailer. And I saw Cinna (LennyKravitz) talking to Katniss, and Katniss’ smug attitude, and Peeta being allsweet and revolutionary at the same time… and suddenly, it all cametogether. The movie will probably beterrible compared to the books. But,hey. It might be a good movie after all.

Winner of the PWR 2 Webby: To All You Forty-Something Female Cat-Owning Spinsters Out There, Let’s Get Grinding: A Review of “Grindr”.

2011-06-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

You know you’ve reached a critical stage in your life when your 17 cats look up at you from their bowls of catnip and broken dreams with eyes that say, “You really need to get yourself a date.”

When my precious feline friends first confronted me, I was initially angry and confused. After 25 years of living sans gentlemen callers and only leaving the condo every Tuesday at 2 pm for a grocery and cat food run, why now my darling babies? Why look at me with a gaze of innocence and question, completely out of the blue, and question the lifestyle I’ve maintained for two and a half decades? What have I done to instill this worry in your minds? What about the life I lead concerns you?

After a Cats: The Musical Marathon, hours of soul searching, and 15 minutes of When Harry Met Sally (It was just too much for me. Are they friends or what? Why does it have to be so complicated?), it came to me. A possible solution. The internet. I got on my computer and researched. I regret having started my search with questions like, “My cats are telling me I need a man. What is wrong with them?” If anyone out there needs a number for a psychiatric facility, just hit me up. I’ve been offered complimentary stays at all of them North of the Mason Dixon Line.

But computers are pretty smart these days. Fairly quickly, it picked up on my dilemma. Before I even realized it myself, my computer had figured that even though I wouldn’t admit it, my cats were right. I wanted to break into the dating scene and my internet indulgence was a subconscious cry for help. Pretty soon I was being led to blogs, chat rooms, and online encyclopedias, soaking up all the information about dating in the 21 century.

And then, eureka. The goddess divine that is Wikipedia brought me to the solution. Grindr. For those of you darling readers, who like me, are living in denial, suffocating under a mountain of cat litter and nostalgic thoughts from your pre-school days when boys actually wanted you to play with them on the jungle gym, listen up. Grindr is a program that one can install into one's phone and-well, actually, I’m a little unsure of how is works. I mean, my phone has one of those fancy dials and is mounted to a wall (a birthday present from an antique store from Fluffy) so would I have to them plug it into my computer (?), I mean I don’t know. Whatever, it doesn’t matter, on to the point! This program is like a mini condensed dating site. When you pull it up, hundreds of profiles of singles appear. And this part works by “geolocation,” so the profiles you see on your “home page” are organized by who lives the closest to you! How convenient!

And this, ladies, is the best part. All of the profiles I’ve seen so far have been men! AND not a single fun loving twenty something bar maid with blonde hair to compete for their affection! Gosh they must be SO bored! All dressed up with nowhere to go and no one to go with.

C’mon gals. Lets infiltrate Grindr and give all these eligible, good-looking males something to get excited about. As soon as we flood the “grinding” scene with our mature manners of seduction that only come with age and a lifestyle of seclusion (like fine wine in the bottom of a cellar) I guarantee we will be received with open arms and hearts by the array of strapping young gentlemen “grinders” and Fluffy, Mr. Fuzzles, Sir Tubbington, Fifi, Georgie, Mittens, Butternut, Whiskers, Sissy, Pickles, Carlos, Snuffles, Cupcake, Waffles, Puddles, Binks, and Billy Crystal will finally be able to eat their cat nip in peace.

Runner-Up: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Pitchfork

2011-06-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club. The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited. Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy? On November 22, 2010, the music-review site Pitchfork granted Kanye West’s new album its highest distinction: a perfect 10 out of 10. The 10 is a distinction rarely bestowed – in the last decade, only four non-compilation albums have gotten such a high score. For a site that normally gives only one rap album a halfway decent score (say, an 8.5) annually (ostensibly only to appease the hip-hoppers in its audience), this review suggests that Fantasy may belong among the pantheon of greatest albums ever released.

But does that really make sense? How does an album that proclaims “Have you ever had sex with a pharaoh?/Put the pussy in a sarcophagus” (“Monster”) merit perfection? At the end of this review, critic Ryan Dombol positively bubbles “With his music and persona both marked by a flawed honesty, Kanye's man-myth dichotomy is at once modern and truly classic. ‘I can't be everybody's hero and villain, savior and sinner, Christian and anti Christ!’ he wrote earlier this month. That may be true, but he's more willing than anyone else to try.” It is perhaps true that relate-ability can elevate music from “good” to “great”, but Kanye’s album falls far short of that standard. On “Runaway”, which Dombol hails as a “rallying cry for all humanity”, guest artist Pusha T opines “I’m just young, rich, and tasteless.” I choose to focus on the line of a guest artist because here, Pusha T says in one line what takes Kanye West multiple minutes to tell you metaphorically. He seems to be informing us that he is an asshole, which should come as no surprise to anyone that pays even a minute amount of attention to pop culture. And speaking of relate-ability, I can’t help but consider the ways in which “Profit, profit, nigga I got it/Everybody know I'm a motherfucking monster/I'm a need to see your fucking hands at the concert” profoundly impact my daily existence. Which is to say, not at all. In this album, perhaps more so than any other that Kanye has ever released, the audience is overwhelmingly struck by the reality that everything that Kanye is talking about only relates to the life of Kanye West. Unless you, too, are a narcissistic pop star that was unfortunately introduced to twitter (or, as Kanye himself would expect, Michael Jackson), there is little in this that makes me reevaluate my own life in a new way. All I glean is that, somehow, Kanye realized that he was imperfect, and decided to write about it.

But wait, there’s more: “'Runaway' marks the rare moment where Kanye sides with his detractors-- if the whole world thinks he's a douchebag, well, this one time he's inclined to agree.” Whaaaaa? When did it become a best-album-ever-scale accomplishment to realize one’s inherent flaws? I would be willing to wager that better part of all music released in the last century featured at least some critical reevaluation. In fact, it’s not even that uncommon in rap music. Pitchfork also asserts that “[the album] begins to feel as if Kanye is stage-managing his own award show with enough starpower…to flatten the Grammys, the VMAs, and the rest all at once.” Seriously, if we’ve gotten to the point of evaluating this album on the starpower of its guests, then we really are hopeless. There is little value in a music review that fails to break from the context set by its own artist. And, let’s face it, we’re probably giving him too much credit. For an album that is introspective at its core, there is a lot of bravado on display – Kanye is constantly talking about his own prowess at just about anything. It’s easy for the artist (and even easier for Pitchfork, it turns out) to pass this off as irony – that Kanye’s just providing you a stereotype of himself so he can subtly undermine it later. It’s art, they’d tell you. Ironic art, however, is a total cop out. We can never know what Kanye meant, but this album is chock full of the pussy-in-a-sarcophagus stupidity that makes mainstream rap painful to listen to.

Let’s agree, please. Kanye may well be the best producer alive. And he’s not a half bad rapper – I’d choose him over 50 Cent or Lil Wayne any day. But he’s not the best ever. And that’s just the dark, twisted truth.

Rahul Sastry

Runner-Up: Product Placement: Yay or Nay?

2011-06-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Product Placement. We’ve all seen it and to be honest, it doesn’t bother me too much...when used properly. For example, it can:

Discretely add to the realness of a scene. As is the case in the Mac laptop pictured in The Office below. Barely noticeable and not at all inappropriate for the work setting. All in all, I think The Office does a good job of slyly incorporating product placement without cheapening the show. It’s almost like a subliminal message.

and even...

Add an element of humor to a plot. Take the not-so-subtle, but very hilarious example of Junior Mints on Seinfeld a few years back. The entire episode revolved around Kramer’s comical obsession with the candy. “Who’s gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint, it’s delicious!” Discreet? Not quite. But did millions of viewers feel the sudden urge to discover what they'd been missing? You betcha.

Trouble viewing the video? Check it out here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhbMqjnYNfI

But alas, every now and then, an out-of-place second product pitch can be the most painful 5 seconds of your life. Well, maybe not really, but it’s pretty bad. Take for example, the shameless (and almost comical) plug for Vitamin Water on Gossip Girl recently. Now for those of you who don’t watch the show, Gossip Girl follows the “scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite”. The characters are known for their impeccable taste in fashion and their exquisite taste for the fanciest of foods and drinks which include tea, scones, caviar, tarts, French macaroons, champagne, and apparently...Vitamin Water. I don't have a problem with Vitamin Water, but really? As if momentarily diverging from the main storyline and lining up an array of the brightly colored bottles (placed beside a Chanel book of course) wasn’t enough, Eleanor Waldorf proceeds to flip through a book for the Vitamin Water design competition. *cringe* Thankyouverymuch CW, but I personally would like the cherished snippets of show that come in between frequent commercial breaks, to actually be focused on the plot.

So what do you guys think of product placement in TV shows? Cheesy at all times or clever when used correctly? Does anyone else feel that out-of-place product placements distract from the show and should be left for the commercials?

-Posted by Erika Roach

The Obscenity of "South Park": Vulgarity for Humor

2011-06-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

Recently the Comedy Central show “South Park” has taken a turn for the worse. For those unfamiliar with this popular television show, one must understand the unique audience that this show attracts, namely high schoolers and drunk, stoned or procrastinating college students. The show follows several 4^th grade kids in their adventures. “South Park” can be described in many ways including immature and obscene, but can it really be considered a constructive social critic?

In the past I have enjoyed “South Park” because I believe it balanced humor and immaturity with a genuine point of view of two average American citizens, the creators of the show, Trey Stone and Matt Packer. These two individuals air a show every Wednesday night during the season and begin working on the next week’s production every Thursday morning. Therefore, each show is supposed to be very relevant for the audience in sharing their perspective on contemporary world events.

However, in the current season I have seen a falling out of the balancing condition the show had previously captured. The lack of creativity and loss of a real message for each episode has been replaced by obscenity. For instance, in the show that aired on April 27, titled “HumancentIPad,” I was astonished by the amount of truly indecent and vulgar scenes and discussion taking place in the episode. This particular episode made me question the new priorities of its writers. It was the first time that I was concerned about young people watching this show. I also felt a pang of guilt that there were most likely middle school students and other young kids watching this show. I realized that with the easily accessible episodes available online, these episodes could be watched by virtually anyone with a computer regardless of age or parent censorship.

The most recent “South Park” episode dealt with racial stereotypes and multiple personality disorder. I did not find it funny, entertaining or contributing anything more than giving me an avenue for procrastination from the stress of finals. I believe the only times “South Park” has a comical effect is when it comments on a current topic that is relevant to the common American viewer. I believe “HumancentIpad” was a failure because those unfamiliar with the movie titled “Humancentipede” would not understand and therefore think that Trey Stone and Matt Packer just have the most distorted and morbid sense of humor imaginable. I would recommend Packer and Stone stop trading humor and creativity for vulgarity. They need to reevaluate their choice of topics and revert back to their roots: making these cartoon characters act completely irreverently and obscenely in order to create humor, not just to criticize a point.

-Nolan Pura

Not Your Typical Catholic Christening

2011-05-31T00:11:00.000-07:00

No, I don’t fake bake and I don’t wear bumpettes in my hair. But, I’m from New Jersey. Before leaving New Jersey for California, I wasn’t so rah-rah about the land of the waffle houses, 24-hour diners, and the gas stations where it’s illegal to pump your own gas. But, since my time at Stanford, I have gotten super-defensive about it. Especially after the explosion of trashy but addicting reality TV shows like Jersey Shore and The Real Housewives of New Jersey (though I have yet to see an episode of E!’s Jerseylicious), the hate came tenfold from people all over. When meeting new classmates, people would greet the news that I hailed from NJ with, “Oh, Joisey?” Mm yeah, that’s a laugh. Real original. How long did it take you to think of that? Or they think I’m joking when I say NJ is the Garden State. I’m not. Really, look it up. However, at the same time, trashy reality TV is like a car crash, it’s brutal but I can’t look away. And the Real Housewives of New Jersey Series fall under this category. Though I originally boycotted Jersey Shore and The Real Housewives of New Jersey because it sends the wrong message about the general population of New Jersey, I finally gave in. Because at the end of the day, these reality stars are so over-the-top that these 40-something-minute snippets of their lives paint them as characters, rather than people, that it’s less about where they’re from and more about the drama they bring to the viewers.

Which brings me to the Season 3 Premiere episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey. After two seasons of the Real Housewives of New Jersey episodes under my TV viewership belt, I thought the show had reached the peak of its drama. From Teresa Guidice’s “prostitution whore” rant and table-flipping directed at Danielle Staub, to Jacqueline’s daughter’s weave-ripping incident with Danielle, I thought I had seen it all. However, at Melissa and Joey Gorga’s infant son’s christening party, things got ugly. With the Joey and Joe yelling obscenities and attempting to charge at each other, causing other christening partygoers to either hold the two men back or start brawling with other partygoers, in addition to the children crying and telling their parents to stop fighting, the christening party was anything but a wholesome affair. However, unlike the other drama that has happened in the past, I wasn’t laughing at the train wreck I was watching. Rather, I was wide-eyed, slightly horrified, but engrossed. And it somewhat pained me to see Teresa and her husband at such odds with Teresa’s brother and his family. Caroline, another Real Housewife on this show, said last year that “blood is thicker than water.” Family is very important, especially on this show, and the fact that there is so much drama and tension between the Guidices and Gorgas is kinda tough to watch. But, this season premiere has drawn me in further, not because it’s even more over-the-top than I ever expected it to be, but because the bit of vulnerability these cast members show the camera, weaved into the craziness, extravagance, and absurdity of the show, adds some depth to these characters, even if it does so ever so slightly.

And, for all the craziness I can’t personally relate to, I agree with Teresa’s opening credits one-liner, “I’m a Jersey girl. No one can knock me down.” Real talk.

- Sarah Gepigon

UEFA Champion's League

2011-05-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

UEFA Champions League. Does it ring a bell? How about if I say FIFA World Cup? Can you guess what the UEFA Champions League might be referring to now? Yes, it involves feet and a ball, a sport our European counterparts rightfully refer to as fútbol.

Unlike the World Cup, UEFA Champions occurs annually, bringing together the most talented, renown, expensive, and competitive European clubs into one sphere where fans everywhere can watch them compete for glory. This year, the championship culminated in a face-off between Spain’s FC Barcelona and England’s Manchester United. Tensions and expectations were high as both teams had much to offer, but unfortunately, the victory was decided long before the match began—with Barcelona as the undisputed victor. Not only does Barça carry the four of world’s best players, but their mastery of the game and strong-arm tactics make them an undefeatable team as well. It may seem a bit of hyperbole to say that Barcelona is undefeatable, but the statistics don’t lie, and they currently support my seemingly exaggerated assertions. Barcelona’s past victories against reputable clubs are universally recognized as complete dominations. It is sad to observe “great” teams struggle against Barcelona, but Barcelona never disappoints. Fans everywhere, and Manchester United, had known this, and Barcelona’s performance on Saturday confirmed that they are indeed the best. Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3-1, with 22 shots on goal (compared to Manchester’s 4 shots), and 68% of the possession of the ball.

It is indisputable that Manchester was dominated in their home turf on Saturday. But this event and its tremendous viewership demonstrate how this exhilarating sport is gaining fame. According to Seth Pollack of SB Nation Arizona, viewership for the Champion’s league final reached over 300 million viewers. In the aftermath, Nielsen’s Media Research reported that viewership has indeed increased as they observed a 93% increase in views over the previous season. Perhaps the chance to witness such beautiful soccer, as performed by world-class players, is what is drew the larger amount of viewers, but the point is, a once under-recognized sport is finally gaining the recognition it deserves.

Note:
Although the author may appear to have an unshakable bias against any team that isn’t Barcelona, this impression is far from the truth. The author is a fervent supporter of Chelsea FC. His perspective is said to be “neutral”.

Santiago Naranjo

Just One More Tab: Being a Troper

2011-05-30T23:34:00.001-07:00

What’s fun, addictive, informative, and rhymes with television myopes? Of course, I’m talking about the venerable Television Tropes (and Idioms) wiki. For the efficient and busy members of society, be warned: TV Tropes will ruin your life. What is it? According to its home page, it is a “catalog of the tricks of the trade for writing fiction,” though by its own admission it is “not a stuffy encyclopedic wiki…a [lot] more informal.” That means it analyzes and notes all sorts of different media techniques, ranging from pages on the Rule Of Cool (characters that are too cool in a film or series are immune from death), to the Infinity Plus One Sword (an object, usually associated with fighting video games, that is very difficult to obtain but basically invincible) to Insane Troll Logic (self-explanatory). The genius comes in the list of organized examples from different media (video games, advertising, movies, real life) for the current page’s trope submitted by readers, with witty or biting humor often included for fans to appreciate. In true wiki fashion, the page and examples all link to other relevant tropes, most of which have amusing or relatable names (how can you not click on a page titled Arson, Murder and Jaywalking?), made even worse by the ability to add tabs to a computer. After TV tropes, tabbing will no longer be a verb for pressing that button on your computer keyboard.

Why is it so popular? Well, for people with souls (just kidding, it would take a lot more than not having a soul to dislike TV Tropes), TV Tropes represents our need to socialize and connect at its best: giving us a medium to explore and understand what we see every day, and be able to connect with society. There’s just something special in being able to understand the magician’s tricks. To paraphrase physicist Richard Feynman, there’s a beauty in enjoying something, and a separate beauty in understanding its deep meaning. Obviously, a lot of the points will only make sense to you if you recognize it, but just like the well-loved Wikipedia, TV Tropes is expansive enough to provide something for everyone, whether you watch television or study literary deconstructionism for a living. It’s all in good fun, though, and don’t worry; if you’re confused about what I’ve been talking about just check out It Makes Sense In Context; it’ll clear things up. Take My Word For It.

Alborz Bejnood

The Guilt-Free Pleasures of Epic Meal Time

2011-05-30T23:33:00.000-07:00

This new Youtube video series may, at first, appear to be a group of idiotic guys that simply like to create the unhealthiest meals with as much bacon as possible. But, in reality their meals are quite creative and innovative. They are able to create elaborate meals using culinary expertise while taking you on an ‘epic’ adventure (with an epic soundtrack to boot) in search of ingredients and the actual creation. In one episode titled “Breakfast of Booze” with a tagline “getting drunk off of breakfast,” they create a feast of bacon chocolate chip beer waffles, and pancakes, bacon wrapped ham, and creamy sausage blankets all dipped in beer batter topped off with whipped cream and candied bacon. The show provides an escape from conventional cooking and always ends with someone devouring the feast.

Besides catchy phrases like “bacon strips, bacon strips” or “sauce boss” Epic Meal Time has found alternative ways to find the hearts of its viewers. By creating epic meals with ridiculous caloric contents (up to 40,000), the creators of Epic Meal Time allow you to live vicariously through their cooking and forget about the constant worry about counting calories if only for the brief 5 minute video. We can watch them create a steak-shaped slab of cookie dough covered in chocolate and a candy version of cheeseburgers and hotdogs completely guilt-free. This appeal to our secret desire for combining the tastiest, greasiest foods into one dish makes the show so popular. No one in their right health-conscious mind would even imagine a recipe for a pizza composed of fast food contents. But, we are able to see our craziest food dreams come to life through this series of cooking shows without having to worry about the cost to our health and wallets.

Halo the new Star Wars?

2011-05-30T23:20:00.001-07:00

Bungie's Halo initiated a revolution in the genre of first-person shooters. Since its inception in 2001, Halo has been the chimerical avatar for Microsoft's venture into the gaming console industry, spearheading the release of the original Xbox and facilitating the success of the system in a market dominated by Playstation fanatics. In fact, the game has become so popular, the term "halo killer" was coined for the most promising up and coming games ready to take the thunderous spotlight from the billion dollar franchise. However no game has ever come to rival Halo's impressive arsenal of multiplayer matchmaking, captivating story, and loyal fan community that has come to be known among gamers as "The Seventh Column."
What started the tumultuous legend was Halo: Combat Evolved. Set on an alien RingWorld, gamers play as the sole survivor from a contingency of super-soldiers bred for Humanity's last stand against the assault of an unyielding alien race. The franchise grew from the solitary game to include nine books, a series of anime shorts, two graphic novels, five comics, three reference books, and an encyclopedia. That's not counting the six games, whose gross income exceeds over 2 billion dollars. The "Halo Universe," as it is called, has far exceeded the reach of a few videogames to encompass something akin the the world created by Star Wars.
As a loyal fan myself, one of the most memorable aspects of the halo world has been the multiplayer. Being the first first-person shooter I ever played, the hours spent dueling in online matchmaking or just against fellow siblings and cousins was a memorable bonding experience that has carried over to college friendships and dorm comraderie. As I move on as gamer Halo will always hold a special place in my heart. As the one that started it all, as time becomes more sparse I will always make time to play the most memorable game the gaming industry has to offer. I stand proudly with the rest of the Seventh Column.

James Acevedo

Underground Music Spotlight: 2562 Album Review

2011-05-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Prominent underground artist Dave Huismans, otherwise known as "2562", released his full-length album "Fever" worldwide in March, 2011. He combines elements of techno, broken funk, and dubstep in his music, which uses the bassline as a primary voice in songs. Here is a track-by-track review of "Fever," with youtube links to my favorite tunes on the album. Simply put, this album is out of this world, where 2562 masterfully weaves some of the deepest basslines with otherworldly melodies. I highly recommend this one.

1. Winamp Melodrama - Huismans uses broken Windows samples to create a hard-hitting rhythm. Good use of effects like filters and masterful sampling accompanies this tune. A fair opener to the album, albeit slightly repetitive. My Rating: 7/10

2. Cheater - very upbeat vibes with the drum beats and a weighty, melodic bassline make this a great track on the low and middle sections. I was left wanting more from the high-end, until hearing the trippy synth lines. My Rating: 7.5 / 10

3. Juxtapose - Great broken percussion on this track, with a deep wobbly bassline to accompany it. The hip-hop style, high-end synth shows how 2562 is a master of several genres of music. Recommended! My Rating: 8.5 / 10

4. Aquatic Family Affair - Deep, underwater sounding bassline with a strangely uplifting synth line. Nice animal noises. This song has great builds too, that keep listeners enraptured throughout the entire song. Highly recommended! My Rating: 9.5 / 10
Link:

5. Intermission - Very Melodic with a deep, funky bassline that keeps the body moving! The instrumentation on this track is great, everything comes together nicely. And I found this one strangely uplifting (strangely uplifting is definitely a common theme of this album...) My Rating: 9 / 10
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC2BzXUi1Ic

6. Flavour Park Jam - Eerie bells with a growling dark bassline open this track up to create a dark mood, while 2562 shows off his percussive skills with a minimal drum line. Finally this song adds a wobbly mid-range synth line that's strangely uplifting. Very sonically pleasing tune. My Rating: 9 / 10

7. This is Hardcore - the only thing hardcore about this song is the heavily processed, rolling bassline that constitutes most of this track. Tribal sounding drums complement the bassline while a moving organ darkens the tone of this song. My Rating: 8.5 / 10

8. Brasil Deadwalker - A very fast drumline pushes this moving track, which quickly introduces a deep, groovy bassline. The song's breakdown is completely out of this world, this is where 2562 takes his music to new levels. His manipulation of the main melody, expertly throwing the rhythm slightly off-beat really captured me. I feel the drums were a little too repetitive in this track, however. My Rating: 8.5 / 10

9. Final Frenzy - I really like the old vintage feel that Huismans uses on this track. The drums really got me moving too! Definitely one of my favorites. This feels like a driving music of a pseudo-reality, and I completely enjoy it. My Rating: 9.5 / 10
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIGwEbO1kgY

10. Wasteland - The second half of this album is really groundbreaking when it comes to 2562's sonic stylings, and Wasteland is no exception. This one has a very tribally feel which makes me imagine some sort of futuristic, tribal ritual in a post-apocalyptic society. Word. This track has a downright epic use of samples as well. If you don't have a subwoofer, you probably can't hear half of this song. My Rating: 9 / 10

11. Fever - This song is, without a doubt, one of the reasons why I am a fan of 2562. The distorted female vocals really work wonders with 2562's light use of percussion and deep, moving bassline. Elevator music of the year 2050? I think yes! 2562 is truly a master of bass music. I highly recommend this song. My Rating: 10 / 10
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjqvnw4ouZw

Chuck Season Finale

2011-05-30T23:04:00.001-07:00

I can appreciate the new villain. I can (barely) appreciate the (often disgustingly sweet) relationship between Chuck and Sarah. I can appreciate John Casey’s uber masculinity. I can appreciate the heck out of Jeffster. Here’s the problem: I cannot appreciate Morgan Grimes with the Intersect.
Lovable as he is, Morgan as a super spy is extremely farfetched. Transforming Chuck, the awkward klutzy geek of the Buy More, into a kung-fu master overnight just walked the line between over the top and perfect comedic genius. Transforming Morgan into any sort of successful spy will be analogous to sprinting across that same line full force, or apparently in Morgan’s case, doing running back flips over it.
Morgan is the man child responsible for pitting Jeff and Lester against each other in a cage fight. He’s the guy who failed every single spy test that Casey created for him. He’s the one who used to hide under Ellie’s bed and watch her change. The one who always serves as the bait in missions because he’s not skilled enough to do anything else.
Morgan is lovable andhe’s a necessary comedic aspect to an incredibly successful show. Chuck probably wouldn’t be the same without Morgan, but he will never be the perfect spy and in trying to make him one, the season 4 finale of Chuck has finally gotten too ridiculous for my tastes.

Like LikeALittle a little too much?

2011-05-30T22:49:00.001-07:00

The opposite sex has a constant presence in the mind of a typical college student. Sitting at Green Library entirely absorbed in a 10 page paper, math 51 problem set, or whatever intellectual undertaking that should demand 100% of your attention at that time, can be a window of opportunity to scope out an attractive interest. So what should you do when someone does catch your eye? Go to LikeALittle.com. Obviously.

Of course, the possibility that this person will actually go onto LikeALittle.com at that exact moment, see your post, recognize it’s him or her, make eye contact with you and subsequently initiate a whirlwind romance is so likely that posting will not be completely useless.
The founders themselves poke fun at the nature of the website, acknowledging that it most likely won’t serve its purpose as a “flirting-facilitator platform”, as coined by one of site’s creator Evan Reas. They offer the alternative option of carrying around a picture of a puppy to facilitate flirting if their site is ineffective.

The site “was created all in good fun”, but what accounts for its popularity? LikeALittle has now expanded to over 50 college campuses and continues to branch out. Perhaps the anonymity justifies the allure, as users are given a random fruit name each time they post or comment on another post. The site also has the added bonus of an extremely positive online environment. It has become common for other users to encourage a poster to “go for it” or “TALK TO HER”. It’s possible that users are hoping for a sense of community in their hesitant moments when they fail to actually make a move.
It has also transformed into a forum of sorts, where users fell comfortable expressing their concerns and insecurities about approaching relationships. One user comments “Why are you waiting for him to ask? I don’t understand this societal double standard” while another later replies “I agree with pumpkin, but men are totally cryptic, too! Everybody’s the same level of confused.” These discussions allow for a collective confession of a universal vulnerability.
LikeALittle has also taken a turn towards arbitrary. People can now post pictures, most of which of are completely random things, like rainbows or entire albums from a charity event. While the incentives to post and expectations of what will result are specific to each user, LikeALittle creates the option of acting, without any real action. “Is there someone special around you?” Then just click “Boom!”.

House without Cuddy: What next?

2011-05-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

Just as the end of season 7 of House was approaching, fans discovered that Lisa Edelstein, who plays the character of the hospital administrator Dr. Lisa Cuddy, would not be returning for season 8. Throughout the past 7 seasons, viewers have watched the tension between House and Cuddy, whether it be the defying of medical ethics, or the evolution of their relationship. In season 7, fans finally witnessed what they had always been hoping for, House and Cuddy finally got together! But as soon as their relationship began, they ultimately broke up. As fans were maybe rooting for them to become a couple again in season 8, this clearly will not be happening. Without Cuddy, a lot of the personal story elements of House will vanish, as their love story kept the show electrified. The show will now be a little bit more than a standard medical procedure – an interesting case with House miraculously solving it! Without Cuddy, who will viewers root for and feel attached to if not to the House/Cuddy relationship? A big question is, will the show suffer if Cuddy leaves? What are the writers going to do to fill this gaping hole and keep viewers interested? A new love interest?

The absence of a main character is not uncharted territory for House. At the end of season three, Dr. House fired his entire team. The majority of that next season resulted in House having his prospective employees playing crazy games to try and be hired. House has always been about Dr. Gregory House, not about the minor characters, but I am not sure whether the writers can continually develop his character without some minor characters being explored more deeply along the way or the addition of something new to the show altogether.

Although Cuddy is gone, House will still have the diagnostic team of Dr. Chase, Dr. Foreman, Dr. Taub and Thirteen. Hopefully we will see more development of the back-stories of each of these characters. Is Thirteen’s Huntington’s become a bigger part of the plot? What will Taub do with his pregnant wife and girlfriend? What new things will we learn about Foreman and Chase? I hope that the writers will develop these characters as it has been lacking immensely in previous seasons. Maybe there will be an addition of a new character, one that could be a replacement for Cuddy’s character so that House can defy him/her in every episode. Hopefully the writers can add something new to keep the show as entertaining as it has been over the past seven seasons. Otherwise, House could very well be nearing its concluding season.

-Richie Sapp

2011-05-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

The greatest crisis facing America today might not be the financial meltdown. It might not be Sarah Palin’s upcoming presidential bid (quoth David After Dentist: “Is THIS real life…?!”) It might not be the 4th consecutive season of MTV’s Jersey Shore, in which Ronnie and Sammie and Snooki and Angelina and What’s-his-name instruct us in their Italian misadventures (cue Pope John Paul II rolling in his grave). No, my friends. This crisis is bigger. It concerns… THE NEW GAWKER LAYOUT.

Yes, I’m serious.

(A side-by-side comparison of the Old and New Layouts)

For those unfamiliar, Gawker Media, the internet’s #1 blog network, recently introduced a formatting change that took their whole web “family” (Jezebel, Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Gawker, and others) from a standard blogging style to a more programmed and “newslike” feel. In February, Gawker CEO Nick Denton released an internal memo, warning his staff, “stay cool: we’ve been through worse backlashes.” Perhaps he was right to do so…

The internet quickly united in its hatred of the new formatting changes. The Twitterverse exploded:

Pageviews were down 80% overall across all Gawker Media immediately after the redesign, with a 25-33% decrease in viewership remaining until the present month. Unique visitor pageviews dropped even lower during that time period. Denton, in his proverbial “ivory tower” of internet stardom seem unfazed. He even appears to have taken bets on how soon readership would dramatically INCREASE as a result of the layout change:

“We will check Quantcast on October 1, 2011. The goal is 510M pageviews/month. It's $10 for every million over/under…”

All the while, Denton continued reassuring the interwebs: the readers will come back. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. In April, Gawker Media added a button on top of its homescreen which gave users the option of switching back to the older, RSS-feeds-driven version, essentially admitting a rebranding failure akin to that of the McDonalds’ Go Active Adult Happy Meal (may it rest in peace).

Why was this done? According to Gawker Media talking heads: “To promote engaged viewership,” “To encourage a more TV-like experience,” “To ‘splash’ headline stories.”

More likely? To make money (surprise!) As Wall Street Journal DIGITS Blogger “Jonathan” noted, the focus on premium advertising the new Gawker layouts introduce promotes a new direction of ad revenue that might be more profitable than the CPM (cost-per-milli, or revenue generated by each 1,000 views) from the old banner ads.

Which just goes to show: money talks. When profitability has taken the place of premium content and display, we know that the blogosphere is in trouble.The blogs, since their inception, have always been a critical part of mass audience information retail and dissemination. Without Gawker, where will we go for news, media, and entertainment?

Hopefully Denton and his compatriots will wake up to reality soon. Until then, I guess there’s always television.

...Jersey Shore, anyone?

-Karissa Paddie

2011-05-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on Anti-heroes

Recently, I finished watching Season 2 of Showtime’s Dexter. I, like many other viewers, am attracted to the fast pace and intriguing characters. In particular, the clinical analyses rendered by the series’s protagonist, Dexter Morgan, provide an interesting vehicle for the development of not only the secondary characters but of Dexter himself. This look into the character’s inner monologue reveals a deeply troubled man that is ambiguously portrayed as desiring a normal life while at the same time refusing to admit dissatisfaction with his current life as a serial killer. Indeed, the series continually portrays the character as gleeful in his pursuit of his victims.

This begs the question, what attraction does this antihero have for the show’s audience? I chatted with a friend on the topic and we reached some concordances. We both agreed that the theme of impulses and the control of those impulses was something that we could both relate to. In particular, we both felt that Dexter’s desire for a normal life represented a glimmer of humanity in the other wise self proclaimed “Monster.”

One issue on which we could not reach a satisfactory conclusion was the moral dilemma of killing a killer. We felt that this plot element made the character no more likable as this choice of victims was repeatedly described as a purely self-preserving rational decision. It led me to wonder what the series’s writers hoped to accomplish with this choice. One solution would be to consider it as an attempt to make the character seem more attractive to the audience. Implicit in this solution is the assumption that the writer’s feel the audience places a positive value on the punishment of other’s for their actions. This created another moral quandary for me. If these are in fact bad people who have avoided punishment for their actions, do they deserve to be punished by a vigilante? More interesting than answering this question for me perhaps is the implication that the writers feel that on a whole we place value on punishment. While accountability for actions is indeed necessary for a functional society, a society that potentially derives satisfaction in the punishment of human beings is truly monstrous.

Jonathan Tatum

Favorite News

2011-05-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Internet and your team
The Internet these days have become a second nature to all of us. About 20 years ago it was not part of our daily routines. People back then got their information from newspapers and from the Television. The Internet has made obtaining your information about your favorite team a lot easier. People can be more informed about their favorite teams all around the world. All teams have “Official” websites where their fans are able to get all the news you could ask for.

Back before the Internet people would have to go out of their way to find information about their favorite team, and even then the fans did not have a choice of what they were told. If they wanted to know about some story about their favorite team but the TV did not say the story or the newspaper then you would never know. Nowadays everyone is able to get on their favorite team’s website and pick from many different stories and headlines to see what is new with their team is up to. With these websites now fans are able to become more avid and more informed about their teams. They are able to obtain this information whenever they want to, so if they are busy when the news comes on the TV or can’t get a newspaper that day they are able to jump online and scan for a few minutes and read the news about their team.

Bret Baumbach

Epic Meal Time—A Cooking Show for People Who Would Never Watch a Cooking Show (by Jeff Mandell)

2011-05-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

If eating a couple pounds of bacon and washing it down with hard liquor is your idea of a feast, then you may have found your messiah in Harley Morenstein, the creator of the hit YouTube cooking show Epic Meal Time. For everyone else, the weekly videos are a sometimes funny and sometimes disgusting demonstration of what some guys with a love of meat and a disdain for all other food groups (except alcohol) can do with a little imagination. This is a show in which the hosts go to great lengths to avoid giving the impression that they possess any special culinary knowledge, although an observant viewer can tell that their preparations are well-practiced. In one episode, a pig wrapped in bacon is stuffed with a turkey filled with chicken and bacon for a "Thanksgiving" meal. In another, Morenstein leads the creation of the most revolting lasagna ever made; nearly a foot deep, it is made up of fast food burgers, cheese, bacon, and chili. In a less typical episode, the cast "takes over" an Indian restaurant in a mock hold-up, and then directs the kitchen in the production of such things as giant samosas, triple-layer naan pizzas, and "candied curry bacon Jack Daniels shots."

Epic Meal Time gets some of its staying power from the wit of its hosts. While clearly honoring the pleasures of eating meat, Morenstein and company subtly poke fun at their own enterprise, demonstrating that they aren't the complete Neanderthals that they enjoy depicting. Although not everyone gets the joke, the sense of humor shows through during the Thanksgiving episode when the cooked pig is "garnished" with Wendy's Bacon Cheeseburgers. What I like most about the show is that Morenstein manages to be very entertaining (and convincing) in his role as an intimidating and borderline insane master of ceremonies without losing a sense of proportion. He is a self-aware actor who can make fun of himself and the entire concept of his show. The show would be a lot less interesting if Morenstein were not so multidimensional. As long as the crew can continue to come up with fresh ideas—eventually, it can get hard to think of anything new to wrap in bacon—Epic Meal Time will be a continued success.

2011-05-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Last year, loyal Office fans found out the unthinkable: Steve Carell-- and the beloved Michael Scott character, would be leaving the show. Many predicted that this would be the end of the show, that the famous Scranton branch just didn't have enough juice without the antics of Scott. Others, like Carell himself, were optimistic that the show would go on without him, even flourish. Almost a year later, Carell has indeed left the show (exiting through a love storyline nonetheless). But what now? Has The Office suffered??

Yes and no. There have definitely been a lot of awkward moments with the show (and no, not in the hilarious way). First there was the uncomfortable transition period where Steve Carell and Will Ferrell were both on the show. Then, Michael Scott's last episode was pretty anticlimactic. We eventually got use to Will Ferrell's anxious character, and just when the new pace of the show started to set in, Ferrell was suddenly snatched away from the story (He suffers a brain injury??). The last two episodes then featured a search party for a new boss with a slew of famous faces padded in for good assurance (Jim Carey, Kevin James, Ray Romano, etc.).

It's all really a big mess. To be fair, though, the show has lost a lot of it's appeal in the last few seasons anyway. There's no longer a pressing love story, and we all know the characters pretty well at this point. I believe there's hope yet though. Either a big name boss (My vote's for Jim Carey) or some newcomers which really breathe new life into the show (think Season 3 style with Rashida Jones and Ed Helms) could really rescue the show. With Steve Carell gone, it's an opportunity for the show to get back on track. What we do know is that the strategy the writer's are using now "ain't it".

It's sink or swim time.

Quora: Questions and Answers

2011-05-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Many of you go to sites such as Wikipedia when searching for a quick fact or two, even though Wikipedia is hardly recognized as a credible source. Yet, we still heavily rely on it. What if there was a place you could go to find out information that you were not embarrassed to cite? That is the site that Quora aims to be. Furthermore, not only does Quora aim to provide credible information but much more specific information.

Quora, a new start up created by former Facebook employees Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever, is the up and coming question and answer site. Since the internet started we have seen a variety of Q&A sites along with forums and places for discussion. So you might ask what distinguishes Quora from these other sites? Quora aims to be recognized for its reliable answers while also providing a social networking environment. It also focuses on specificity. You can ask a question that focuses entirely on a specific part of a topic. Sites such as Wikipedia provide a large overview of a variety of broad topics; however, they provide very little in the way of narrow topics and personal narratives. Quora, on the other hand, provides users the opportunity to share personal experiences and accounts of what it is like to experience something first hand, that users might not otherwise find.

One problem that many similar sites have seen deals with scaling. Is Quora built well enough that it will scale with an increasing user base? Its structure and success so far looks promising. The way the site is set up is that users must create an account. Thus creating a link between people and answers, making it easier to track the quality of a user’s responses. Answers are voted on and ranked in order of what appears to be the “best” response. Moderators also determine the overall quality of answers if they are disputed. So far questions and answers have been successful and they expect it to scale well.

Users can follow other users, specific questions, or broader topics. Quora combines these to create a newsfeed of questions and answers on the user’s homepage that they might be interested in. This creates a unique experience for each user while also providing them with interaction ability similar to that of a social networking site. All in all, Quora seems to be a step in the right direction for sites providing credible information and a networking experience for users.

- Emilie Jackson

Bleacher Report: Entertaining sports news, photos and slideshows

2011-05-30T00:38:00.000-07:00

By Linyi

Interactivity between fans and sports programming has blossomed to overtake even journalism. In a recently created news company known as Bleacher Report, sports fans can express on the World Wide Web what has previously been restrained to small-friend-circle conversations and beside-the-television debates: their opinions of the favorite sports teams and players. As the title of this site indicates, the news presented comes from the “bleacher”—i.e. from the fans themselves. Anyone can register an account and write an article for publication on Bleacher Report’s website.

The headlines that come up on Bleacher Report are certainly more eye-popping than the average sports article. How about, “The 25 Most Gruesome Injuries in Sports History?” or “Ranking the 40 Hottest WAGs of All-Time?” or “The 50 Greatest Mustaches in MLB History?”

At the same time, the quality of the writing of many of the articles—and the quality of their contents—is suspect. Although some articles attain publishable quality, many show themselves as what they are—the opinion of an enthusiastic fan. For instance, an article like “Indy 500: Why the Action at Indy is Better than the Daytona 500,” which evidently is coming from a NASCAR fan, is unlikely to appear on any professional sports news site.

Bleacher Report has even made its way into Google News, a fact that may be unsettling to many readers. Today, Google News searches for sports subjects are often dominated by Bleacher Report articles (Top Ten Reasons Why [insert obscure sports statement here]), though the quality of their content may be low and unprofessional. One way to avoid these articles is to include the term “-bleacherreport” in the search to remove any references to the site.

So, the next time you are wondering about the “Top Ten Reasons Why” the Miami Heat players are crying, or the top “10 Prospects Who Aren’t Afraid to Shoot at Will,” or which of the top ten “Draft Picks Will Turn Into Biggest Busts”—or, if you’re wondering why these articles are popping up on Google News—look no further than:

Bleacher Report: Entertaining sports news, photos and slideshows.

Sex and the City Too (Much) by Tiffany Li

2011-05-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

2/5 stars

I’m not sure what’s more annoying, Sex and the City 2 or its reviews. The crime of the former is excessive ditziness when dealing with topics that ought to be taken seriously; the crime of the latter is excessive self-righteousness when dealing with a film that no one should take seriously. Let me put it another way: plenty of people who might actually have enjoyed the film may skip it because some cackling reviewer got carried away, whereas I doubt Hillary Clinton is taking her diplomatic cues from Samantha.

The truth is that SATC2 bites off more than it can chew. Repression of women in Islamic culture? Sex trafficking? This in a series famous for using the phrase “funky-tasting spunk.”

As a result of taking on bizarrely weighty topics, the film is unable to do them justice. In fact, the attempt to mash small-font issues into a film promoted with the giant, glittering letters S-E-X actually ends up distracting from what this film does do well: dress its character in pretty clothes, send them to pretty places, and occasionally allow them to have pretty funny conversations, notably Miranda and Charlotte’s woes-of-a-wealthy-mother talk.

The film is stretched so thin that the act 2 climax is the threat of flying on coach. And that’s the real problem: not that the film is elitist or recession-blind, as reviewers complain, but that the fans always saw that behind the luxurious setting and big-name labels, real, profoundly relatable pain was at stake. Roger Ebert might have laughed, but women empathized in the millions with Carrie’s 30 minute funk in the first film. SATC2 spends too much time criticizing burkhas to make a convincing case that Carrie and Charlotte’s marriage, Miranda’s career, or Samantha’s sex drive is at stake.

Consequently, those who cared most about this film had little to care about, and those who care least for this series had far too much to say.

"You should understand that or you will mistake me!"

2011-05-24T23:35:00.001-07:00

Doubt (2008), seeks to recreate the play written by John Patrick Shanley, wrestling with epistemological issues, particularly through Sister Aloysius Beauvier (played by Meryl Streep) and her quest to achieve knowledge. She attempts to prove that Father Flynn (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) is engaging in inappropriate, insinuating sexual conduct with Donald Miller, the only African American student attending the Catholic school. The film beautifully unfolds, investigating and tackling several issues beyond surface-level cinema.

The confrontation between Sister Beauvier and Father Flynn culminates in their explosive altercation (the clip for which may be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpI6pgp33a4&feature=related). The audience, greatly intrigued, cannot help but keep their eyes glued to the exchange of exclamations between the two clearly flustered characters. Their argument reaches its pinnacle as Sister Beauvier interrupts with rage, "I will step outside the church if that's what needs to be done or the doors will shut behind me! I will do what needs to be done, or I'm damned to hell! You should understand that or you will mistake me. Now did you Donald Miller wine to drink?"

*SPOILER ALERT* Upon the conclusion of the film, the audience finds Sister Adams and Sister Beauvier sitting on benches outside the church. Sister Adams somberly inquires the truthfulness of Sister Beauvier's alleged discovery that Father Flynn indeed engaged in inappropriate relations with Donald Miller. However, after a period of stark silence, Sister Beauvier cries out despairingly as she begins to uncontrollably weep, "Oh, Sister James... I have doubts. I have such doubts!" Her outburst stands unexpected in that her character throughout the film is fundamentally grounded in audacity, resolve, and certainty until this moment of vulnerability. Her statement of uncertainty appears twofold; that is, she effectively expresses not only doubt for Father Flynn's actions, but moreover, doubt in her belief in God. A cinematically striking film, Doubt masterfully conveys the confusing struggles one may encounter in the pursuit of knowledge and confidence in readily held beliefs.

-Cody Aros

Vien Dinh on Tennis Tournaments

2011-05-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

One of the main reasons why I like attending tennis tournaments is because tennis is a solitary sport. Each player performs as an individual against a single opponent, performing for the audience, for himself, and for the win. The connection between the player and the audience is a very special kind of connection. Unlike a team sport, a tennis player relies on himself, with no team to fall back on. As a result, the glory of triumph can be great, but so can the sting of defeat or simply a poorly executed shot. The solitary style of tennis makes it very psychological in nature, as each player struggles not only with the opponent, but more often with himself, his mood, his morale. This emotional struggle is often difficult for the player and as a result, the player often wants the audience to share in on the struggle. Tennis players are notorious for making dramatic displays during matches, smashing racquets when making bad shots, and vocally chastising themselves allowing the audience to hear their struggle. Tennis players subconsciously want the audience to share in their ordeal, in victory, but more in defeat. This, in my opinion adds to the entertainment value of tennis tournaments. Whenever I come to watch a professional tennis tournament or an NCAA tournament, I feel like I'm not only attending a sports match, but also a reality tv show.

Portal 2: A Triumph

2011-05-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

Portal 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the popular 2007 video game, Portal. For those not familiar with the series, you take the role of a test subject in an abandoned laboratory run by a psychotic AI called GlaDOS. This testing involves creating portals between points in space to solve puzzles - watch the following video for a typical Portal-style puzzle.

When Valve released the first Portal in 2007, it came out of nowhere, and was released in a bundle (called the Orange Box) alongside Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2, both sequels to popular Valve titles. In all likelihood, a small experiment like the original Portal should have been overshadowed by being released with such blockbuster games. Yet of the Orange Box, Portal was the one that gained a massive following with its quirky humor and innovative, brain-warping gameplay. With Portal 2, Valve has turned their little experiment into a full-fledged game worthy of standing on its own.

Everything that made the first Portal great is intact, but now with more depth. The Excursion Funnel (made from liquid asbestos!) from the above video, for instance, acts as a slow-moving tractor beam that can be manipulated via portals, and mastering it is necessary for many of the puzzles later in the game. Also expanded in depth is the story; whereas the first game was your character struggling to survive against GlaDOS and her deadly tests, the second stands out as having a more structured narrative, exploring the history of GlaDOS, and of Aperture Laboratories itself. The addition of a new character - Wheatley - provides a deeper emotional connection that simply wasn’t present in Portal. Even the comedy, which is central to the game, finds itself kicked up a notch over the first Portal. While talking to a character who's had an unfortunate transformation into a plant: “Oh, hi. So, how are you holding up? Because I'm a potato!”

I give Portal 2 a hearty 9 out of 10. I wish only that the game were longer, as I was able to finish the single-player campaign in just two sittings.

- Stephen

Old Fashion-ed

2011-05-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

'Evnin Ladies n' Gents,

Today we're gon learn a lesson about modesty and bout greatness. Well, stop stallin' none of us are gettin any younger. Serena Williams was ranked No. 1 female tennis player in the world. She has won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open multiple times both in the singles and doubles category. She has three clothing and accessories lines- and debuts many of her products on the court. In March of this year, this fine little lady was involved in the gaming industry. TopSpin games are interactive tennis games for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Williams was involved with a commercial for TopSpin 4. Task: watch the video below and then proceed with your reading- and don't let your little ones watch with you.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phxQyrjtCKE

What in the world! Daggonnit! Don't fear This video was banned from television because it was deemed inappropriate. Now, for a female tennis player it is inevitable that a Google image search of your name will pull up countless photos that have been zoomed into your lady regions- but honey, that doesn't mean you go selling that to such a large degree. Granted, "sex sells" (I hate that expression), but Serena little lady, you are a world class athlete- you have our attention already. Of course, even though the commercial was banned, there are a few versions of it readily available on YouTube. Williams made the video and put it out there- I am just bewildered that she would think that was proper for a woman of her stature. Then again, we are talking about the woman who wore this...

not once but twice to the FRENCH OPEN. Call me old fashion-ed, but kids these days just don't know what's right and what's wrong. There is no way that you can discredit Miss Williams, she is a phenomenal athlete and business woman- but what you can do is laugh and wonder what is going on in that strong- very strong- mind of hers.

Good Health for All,

M.E.

PostSecret: The Anonymous Way to Spill Your Soul to Thousands of Strangers

2011-05-17T01:02:00.000-07:00

Have you ever told someone your deepest, darkest secret? Was it cathartic? Did you feel
relieved, as if a weight was lifted off of your shoulders?

Well, that’s the principle behind PostSecret, an ongoing community mail art project. They believe that everyone has a secret. Some have secrets that individuals volunteer to share with family and friends and some who have secrets they will tell no one. These secrets, if forever concealed, can lead to the burden of overwhelming guilt and regret, among others. PostSecret reveals and displays secrets written on postcards that have been anonymously submitted from people all around the world. People c

an decorate and express their secret how ever they choose, as long as it fits on a postcard. Creator Frank Warren, with the help of his team, select only a few from the hundreds of thousands of secrets he receives to post on his website, exhibit in his books, or unveil in his guest

lectures.

Beginning with a blog, PostSecret has expanded from displaying a minimum of 10 secrets every Sunday to now 20 secrets every Sunday. Here, Warren uploads photographs and emails that people have submitted. Again, thousands of people view PostSecret’s Sunday Secrets weekly. Warren has collected hundreds of thousands of secrets since its founding in early 2005 and has exhibits all around the country.

There is something liberating in reading someone’s deepest secrets. Some are as startling as, “I only love one of my children.” Despite the tense topics exposes it individual’s secrets, people find inspiration in reading someone else’s innermost thoughts.

When asked about the purpose, Frank Warren explained, “the secrets are meant to be empowering both to the author and to those who read it. …The postcards are inspirational to those who read them, have healing powers for those who write them, give hope to people who identify with a stranger's secret, and create an anonymous community of acceptance.” In 2008, Warren and PostSecret collaborated with 1-800-suicide in order to bring hope to anonymous individuals who revealed in their secret that they were considering ending their life. Frank has spoken throughout college campuses giving lectures and prompting discussions, sharing his experiences through the PostSecret project.

So, what’s the appeal? As an avid PostSecret fan, there is comfort in knowing that someone, either far away or close by, male or female, older or younger, gay or straight, could be experiencing the same thing that you are. Moreover, this project provides hope. The PostSecret community embraces people’s vulnerability and provides a welcoming atmosphere for everyone’s secrets.

With five books out, these PostSecret compilations include secrets organized into particular topics like dreams, prayers, confessions, memories, etc. The new tradition that has risen from PostSecret is slipping one’s own secrets into a PostSecret book at a store such as Barnes and Noble or Borders. If someone were to buy it, they will receive your anonymous secret, just for him or her. Upon receiving critical acclaim for its success and morally sound intentions, PostSecret has expanded to include French and German versions, making it no longer a national, but a global art project. Also, with the recent popularity of social networking, PostSecret has benefited from these sites and reached out to communities through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Despite the submitter's anonymous status, people are still hesitant to reveal their secrets. Some post these confessions, hoping that they will be recognized. For others, being recognized is their biggest fear. The release of a secret simultaneous emits feelings of liberation and terror. It is this risk, however, that drives people to finally expunge themselves of this burden.

Will you submit your secret?

Frank Warren

13345 Copper Ridge Rd.

Germantown, MD 20874

"I Need To Get Up, I Need a Shower; I Can't Right Now 'Cause I'm Playing Angry Birds"

2011-05-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm going do it. I am going to write about Angry Birds. It seems absurd only because it is so poplar and must have been discussed so many times before. The simple game has already sold 6.5 million copies and hopes to sell 100 million total--that's only the legal downloads on the iPhone, and the game's producers didn't even advertise!

Angry Birds: Need Tweezers.

If you've never played before, the game has a simple plotline in which birds (who are angry) are catapulted at pigs. The birds are apparently angry because the pigs stole their eggs. So they suicide-bomb the pigs and the fragile structures the pigs hide in. A little morbid... and quite anti-pig... but it's carried out well. And in any case, the plot isn't too important to the actual game--players can skip it--but it is a cute addition.

What is important about Angry Birds is that it demonstrates the direction games are heading. While a hardcore gamer may continue to buy expensive consoles and games that costs upwards of $20, the casual and cheap nature of this game appeals to incredibly wide audiences. This game costs less than $5 for the iPad, and only $.99 for the iPhone. The game play is incredibly simple: pull a slingshot back and aim, using only one finger. There are many levels that gradually increase in difficulty, introducing new types of birds occasionally, and each level gets a score out of three stars. The graphics and sound effects are aesthetically and aurally pleasing but minimal. It's also interesting to note that there is no tutorial, leaderboard or multiplayer. Its simple features and streamlined gameplay are what make it universally appealing.

XKCD: "The Most Powerful Gaming Systems in the World Still Can't Match the Addictiveness of Tiny In-Browser Flash Games."

Angry Birds is not unique in storyline or game type. Revenge and/or cute animals is a common theme is many games. "Destroy the Castle" games are numerous and easy to find. There are free games with similar one-touch gameplay, better graphics, better plots, cuter animals and even better use of physics. So what makes Angry Birds so popular?

Because Angry Birds is portable, it's easy to play anywhere. Each level is repeatable and easy to pick up, so it can be played during 5-minute work breaks, or even 3-hour long train riders for those of us who are a little more addicted. It's not inherently social because there's no multiplayer, but its ubiquity and popularity makes it possible for people to discuss it and even get help on how to beat difficult levels. And, perhaps most importantly, it capitalizes on the iPhone and smart phone craze. However, it's not the only game that could have become so popular, and such games are not limited to those who can afford expensive smart phones. So when I say that Angry Birds-esque games are the future of casual gaming, it's a good thing.

I want to leave you with the video that inspired this post and its title:
A Parody of Adele and Angry Birds

Also, I hope all the links keep you busy for many, many long hours of procrastination. You're welcome.

-Sarah Crawford

Winter PWR 2 Webby Awards

2011-03-18T08:49:00.001-07:00

Our external judges were so impressed by this term's PWR mass media blog posts that after much debate, they could not decide on simply one, two, or even three winners. They finally settled on a first place with three runners-up. Congratulations Casey, Amanda, Ximena, and David! And great work, everyone--there were too many "honorable mentions" to even include here.

First Place: The Room: Oh hi, Tommy Wiseau!

2011-03-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

I am in love with bad movies. When asked to review any sort of media, my mind immediately jumped to one movie – The Room, Tommy Wiseau’s masterfully terrible tale of love and betrayal in San Francisco. Before beginning the review in full, I just want to mention that this movie has absolutely no redeeming qualities. The acting is atrocious, the music sounds like it was stolen from a Renaissance fair, and the sex scenes (of which there are many) cause audiences to cringe in horror. Tommy Wiseau, the director, producer, and lead actor in the movie, cannot direct, produce, or act in any capacity. The movie is incredibly misogynistic; an affair carried out by two of the characters is entirely the girl’s fault and every other woman in the movie encourages her to be manipulative. However, all of these issues barely scratch the surface of the film’s awful-ness.

First, the characters. The main character, Johnny, is a saintly banker who would give up anything to please his family and friends. He is perfect, except for his terrifying dinosaur-like visage. But it’s not like Tommy Wiseau was trying to insert himself into the movie or anything! That’s crazy talk. Anyway, his girlfriend, Lisa, is a horrible bitch who decides to cheat on Johnny for no reason. Mark is Johnny’s best friend, and he is sure to mention that whenever he can. Denny is Johnny’s troubled and creepy adopted son who looks like a 30 year old but has the mentality of a 13 year old. Finally, we have Claudette, Lisa’s mother who helpfully drives home the moral of the story: women are all manipulative whores who are just planning to use you.

The movie opens with Johnny entering a room (The Room, perhaps?) and muttering, “Hi, babe!” It’s important to note here that Tommy Wiseau has an accent that seems to be native to nowhere. Seriously, people have absolutely no idea where this guy comes from. Wiseau himself always dodges the question. Almost every one of his lines in the movie is a jumbled mess of language that almost resembles English. Several of these lines were clearly dubbed over in post-production yet are still unintelligible. Wiseau imitates a chicken at one point by shouting “CHEEP CHEEP CHEEEEEP.” But I digress.

Shortly after this poetic greeting the audience is treated to a prolonged sex scene in which Johnny seems to hump Lisa’s belly button for several minutes. Unfortunately for Johnny, Lisa is unsatisfied with her belly button sex and seduces Johnny’s best friend Mark! Another prolonged sex scene ensues. Afterwards, Mark expresses his regret by denying all responsibility for his actions (“I can’t believe you did that to me!”) and continuing the affair. Naturally, things quickly spiral out of control. Also, everyone plays a ton of football. Football is used in the movie as… comedic relief? Maybe? Or is it something the characters are bonding over? Hell, I don’t know.

What makes this movie even more baffling is the fact that it allegedly cost 6 million dollars to make. How the hell did Tommy Wiseau manage to find all that cash? More importantly, what was it all spent on? It clearly didn’t go to hiring decent actors. Or set design. Or good music. Wiseau himself has never answered either of these questions, although he has alluded to some shady business dealings that somehow involved Korean leather jackets. I’m not making this up.

I know I’ve been tearing into The Room pretty mercilessly, but the movie is actually worth watching if you appreciate crappy films. Every aspect of the film is so poorly made that it constantly falls into the “so bad it’s good” zone. It’s incredibly quotable thanks to the awkward phrasing and awful dialogue. To be honest, I’m such a fan of this movie that I have seen it close to ten times. I can recite most of the movie from memory. The Room has earned a cult following and is truly worthy of that attention. It’s the king of bad movies, but that doesn’t prevent it from being an incredibly enjoyable watch.

--Casey Deres

Runner-up: Lemme Smang It

2011-03-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

Described by some as “life-changing,” defined by others as “the best music video of the year,” “Lemme Smang It” is what we call an internet sensation. Since its release less than five months ago, the video has already reached almost 2.5 million views on YouTube. The song boasts truly unique lyrics, featuring such gems as:

You say that in bed your man is a lame guy.

Havin' sex with him is just like watching paint dry.

Before, of course, the chorus (and origin of the song's title):

Lemme smang it girl,

Smash it and bang.

Lemme smang it girl,

Smash it and bang.

Given that this is a PWR post, I will refrain from citing other great examples found in the song.

The accompanying video only works to supplement these clever lyrics. There is no Lady Gaga music movie. There are no Kanye epilepsy-triggering visuals. There is Yung Humma wearing a wig, doing a dance move that rivals the Stanky Leg.

So, what exactly is the secret behind this extraordinary success? Is it the monotonous voices that strike a delicate balance between apathetic and creepy? Is it the bare simplicity and rudimentary visual effects that remind us of '80s music videos (much like Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake's hit song “Dick in a Box”)? Or maybe it's the fact that all of the people featured in the video seem to take themselves so seriously.

The first time I watched this, I was convinced it was a parody – yet another “Jizz in My Pants”-like spoof on today's popular music. The dance moves, the cheesy backdrops, the … ingenious lyrics. Upon further research, however, I am no longer so sure, and I am not the only one who is confused.

As it turns out, Turquoise Jeep Records, the gang that produced this prize of a song, is an actual record label and band, consisting of Yung Humma, Whatchyamacallit, Flynt Flossy, Pretty Raheem, Slick Mahony, and Tummiscratch Beats. This talented group of individuals was the very same that brought you “Cavities,” “Stretchy Pants,” and “Fried or Fertilized,” with other such thought-provoking lyrics as “How you like your eggs: fried or fertilized?"

Though nobody really knows whether or not these guys are serious, it seems their newfound fame is enough to get a nod from some of today's most influential musicians. Just recently, Turquoise Jeep opened for Big Boi, and now has almost 9,000 fans on Facebook. But does this really come as a surprise? Let's face it: when we're forced to decide between Katy Perry feeling like a plastic bag and Drake teaching us the square root of 69 is 8-something, “Lemme Smang It” doesn't seem like such a bad choice after all.

(Amanda Lin)

Runner-up: "Imma let you finish, but this video may induce the best seizure of all time!"

2011-03-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Although George Bush may not care about black people, Kanye West has made it clear that he cares about...epileptic people. Soon after the release of Kanye West's new music video for "All of the Lights," British group "Epilepsy Action" publicly criticized the video after receiving various complaints from viewers who had suffered seizures as a result of watching it. The video, directed by Hype Williams, begins with misleadingly calm black and white footage of a young girl before unexpectedly transforming into a crazy spectacle of flashing lights and color.

In light (hah?) of this controversy the video was momentarily taken down from YouTube and then re-released with a (badass) disclaimer warning viewers of its potential to trigger seizures. Although Kanye's people did address the complaints in a relatively timely manner, they did of course allow time for this issue to become a hot topic on the internet, increasing interest for the video, curiosity for what would be done, and spurring ridicule through tweets like, "Imma let you finish, but this video may induce the best seizure of all time!" It seems that, especially for Kanye, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Personally, if I had epilepsy or some other form of photosensitivity, I wouldn't actively seek out to watch a video named "All of the Lights" (unless I was trying to get myself into a seizure that caused me some serious psychological damage...for which I would be unable to survive without monetary compensation from Kanye West). Fortunately (or unfortunately), I do not suffer from photosensitivity and was able to dismiss the warning and continue watching.

"All of the Lights" provides a promising beginning that suggests that it will be the type of video to extend the meaning of an already amazing song. However, the story line of the small girl (later revealed to be the daughter) who "needs her daddy," despite his violent actions against her mother, is lost. No, this story does not suffer at the hands of the flashing lights. In fact, the images and colors serve to highlight the lyrics (a la "Enter the Void") and create tension as Kanye hold his head in his hands, struggling to face all the difficulties of his life.

So who is to blame for the lost message? Rihanna's boobs. I'm not kidding. Currently the top YouTube comment for the video is: "Warning: Rihanna's titties have been identified to potentially trigger seizures. Viewer discretion is advised." Although Rihanna delivers the perfect vocals for the song, her appearance in the video, dressed in what I would describe as two Band-Aids, shifts the direction of the story

from a promising artistic undertaking to the unapologetic "sex-sells." Following Rihanna, the camera switches to a profiled shot of Kid Cudi, who only turns to look at the camera in order to smile playfully and grab at his red leather jacket.

Both artists give"want you to see everything" new meaning.

By the time the video returns to Kanye and his "daughter" the viewer has completely forgotten about the story-line and instead may possibly be frantically searching Google more pictures of whichever star is to their liking...

Runner-up: We are being assimilated into the Google Collective…but maybe it’s not so bad.

2011-03-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

How many times have you Googled something today? I can tell you that all together, Google handled about 293.8 million requests today. Well, I guess that’s on average, I just Googled it real quick. It’s kind of scary just how much information is instantly available at our fingertips. This development is quite recent, or at least that is how it seems. I remember learning what a search engine was in sixth grade. This was back when our home computer would block the phone line to provide a foot-deep pixilated portal to the online world. I sound like I’m 110 years old, but this is no “uphill to school both ways in the snow” story. In under a decade, lightning fast internet connections are available in the palm of our hand, and behind the reigns of this wild technology steed: Google. Think of how long it would take to find what you want if you had to search for domain names on your own. Google makes it so easy, BUT AT WHAT COST?

Do you ever feel that sometimes a Google search knows more about what you want than you do? Do you even remember when the autocomplete search bar became a feature? More recently, Google Instant will display the results to what you are trying to find before you are even done thinking it. A page appears ranking what is “best” for your inquiry. Best based on what? Sheer monstrosities of data. How can 293.8 million opinions be wrong right? I am only partially kidding. It seems as if time would be better spent learning to use the many tools Google has to offer effectively rather than learning about things like math, science, and history. Think back to your last problem set. How many equations did you search for? How many facts did you verify for your RBA? Chances are you found what you are looking for, and chances are there was an even faster way to find it still. We are constantly plugging in to this large collection of common data, and independent knowledge seems obsolete compared to the ability to find information effectively.

I’ve led us along to this point making one major assumption though: that people do not retain the information they search for. Thankfully, that is just not true. This is the reason I feel we should be excited about what the power of Google can do for us rather than fearful. Google does not degrade the importance of an individuals knowledge; it instead provides the opportunity for many more to gain that knowledge. Before, maybe one in ten people could tell you the fastest route to the nearest hospital. Now, anyone can know with Google Maps. And, this sharing doesn’t even stop at borders. Google’s browser Chrome has the ability to translate entire pages into different languages. Stop and think about that. The World Wide Web can now live up to its name! These two examples are only the beginning.

Problems will only occur if we stop asking questions (that is until Google Questions becomes a feature). But seriously, it is our ability to ask questions that makes us the individual who contribute to a collection and not a entity of the collection. We can use the access to great amounts of knowledge to help us construct new answers which can then be shared with the world, prompting new questions in a cyclic process. This easy access to so much information can change what and how we know, but I don’t believe it will ever have a negative affect on who we are.

David Nelloms

Wait What about Rebecca Black: Going viral for the wrong reasons....

2011-03-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

Going viral for the wrong reasons…..

Rebecca Black's "Friday"

As many of you now know, not everyone is fit for pop. No matter how many mini-Britneys and pseudo-Ke$has get churned out, you can beat Hollywood’s alchemists that can literally turn poop into gold. Ark Music Factory’s Rebecca Black is no exception to this, but it is extremely popular nonetheless. There’s an old saying that any PR is good PR, good being the operative word in the sentence. Black’s hit single “Friday” is blowing up the YouTube charts, and yet will go down as one of the worst song ever…literally for all eternity. Even worse than, “Chacaron”, which is mildly entertaining to say the least because it’s so ridiculous. Why choose fame when you can choose infamy? My guess is Black didn’t make that choice. The young teen probably didn’t realize that her parents were paying for her own social destruction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0 for video

With lyrics like “Gotta have my cereal…Get me to the bus stop.” The hit single is pretty setting it self up for an onslaught of YouTube user hatred. Sorry Rebecca, the web is blunt. Everyone is a judge of talent now thanks to the ability to see thousands of people make cover videos of songs. A bad video, especially one accompanied by a bad song is surely going to get harangued. No one wants to hear about your day, or love for a day.

But hey, Black’s video is an example to others on what not to do and avoid going viral for the wrong reasons. Definitely don’t produce a high quality video if the content is crap, it draws attention and people love sharing a bad video for kicks. People love making fun of puberty, so if you’re going through it, you probably shouldn’t show everyone how you look. Last, if you don’t have talent and you try to act like you do, the web is going to destroy you credibility. In sum if you release a bad video, YouTubers are going to rip it apart like a pack of wolves, then send it to everyone they know so they can do the same, even let their parents and grandparents get their share of LOLs at it.

This is the brutal truth, but believe me the web is far more brutal and unsympathetic. And it really sucks when 23 million people do it to you.

Music's Response to Finals: Lupe Fiasco's Lasers

2011-03-11T16:25:00.001-08:00

When the public has been demanding an album's release for three years, everyone knows the day it finally drops is going to be a big one. Lupe Fiasco fought off the influence of his record company Atlantic Rights for the rights to publish his 3rd album, Lasers, the way he wanted. He settled on Lasers as an acronym for “Love Always Shines Everytime, Remember 2 Smile”.

With the album finally here, it’s time to see what this Muslim skater kid out of Chicago has given us and whether it keeps him at the top of the current rap/hip-hop leaders with the likes of Kid CuDi and B.o.B. Lounge back in your most comfortable seat, dim the lights and press the play button on Lasers.

Lupe didn’t try to include a single concept to the album like he did with his last release The Cool, but a sense of drained optimism shines through regardless. The album lends itself to a form of introspection and positive social critique, but one feels weighed down by a sense of disappointment with it all. Lupe touches on this himself, openly discussing his dislike of the process behind Lasers. This weight is delivered in the first four lines off the album from the song “Letting Go.”

“Seems I'm getting out of control / Feels like I'm running out of soul / You're getting heavy to hold / Think I'll be letting you go”

Later, in one of his more affecting songs “Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways),” Lupe asks his listener “If you feel like you don’t want to be alive / You feel just how I am / I’m on the dark side.” It’s easy to sense weariness with the world and perhaps the industry he has had to deal with. It comes out in the lyrics that are often at odds with the unauthentic pop sound in the background we know was put there by Atlantic Records.

Most of the initial reviews have knocked down the album because of this perceived corporate influence. Lupe did not hold back when addressing Atlantic Record’s interference and so the feud is common knowledge. The word compromise could easily be applied to the entire collection of songs. With additional electronic vibes and synthesizers meant to cater to the current pop trends, most reviewers have pointed to these additions as taking away from the activist lyrics of Lupe Fiasco. They dull his message behind repetitive chorus repetitions, a fact acknowledged by Lupe in his track “State Run Radio.” The song is highlighted by its repetition of the phrase “over again…and over again…and over again” for its chorus in a way that impressively mimics today’s most listened to pop radio.

Fortunately, even the dull pop can’t keep the naturally optimistic message Lupe is known for. His poignant critiques of society go hand in hand with a hope that we’re moving in the right direction. He admits in the song “Coming Up” that his career is “only moving forward homie, that’s that.” His resilience carries on (“Tell my enemies that they can’t injure me”) and ultimately leaves the listener with heavy shoulders but a certain confidence. The world weighs heavily, but “all the ups and downs will soon be worth it.” That’s all Lupe’s message has ever been. The industry can smudge the idea, but they can’t erase what he’s been trying to say the whole time.

"You just lift your arms higher / Raise 'em 'til your arms tired, let 'em know you here / That you struggling, surviving, that you gon' persevere / Ain't nobody leaving, nobody going home."

"Even if they turn the lights out, the show is going on."

The Alot is Better Than You at Everything

2011-03-10T23:41:00.000-08:00

If you are grammatically conscientious, I'm positive you have noticed the grievous misuses of the English language online, in comments on YouTube, in Facebook status updates, etc.

How many people have ever mispelled, oops - I mean misspelled "a lot" as "alot"?

For Allie, writer of the blog, "Hyperbole and a Half", deals with "alot" by imagining the creature above. According to the blog, "The Alot is an imaginary creature... made up to help me deal with my compulsive need to correct other people's grammar. "

Being somewhat of a grammar Nazi as well, reading about the Alot has been one of the highlights of my spelling/grammar policing. If someone says, "I care about this alot", this is what Allie imagines:

This post had me laughing with its spot-on humor and cleverness. The drawings are rough in a stylized way that adds to the personality of the blog.

This is the funniest page I've come across in a while. Now... I know what you're thinking:

But in this case it's legit.

I don't do justice to this ridiculously funny person and blog. You can find the blog in its entirety here:

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

-Eric Tran

Meiko: This Is Only The Beginning

2011-03-09T23:07:00.000-08:00

by Sandra Rodriguez

I'm sure you're probably thinking: Who the heck is Meiko? She is a singer/songwriter from Roberta, Georgia. She moved to Los Angeles when she turned 18 to try and get her music career off the ground. She spent the first couple of years waitressing at an Indian food restaurant. Through her waitressing she was able to independently release a self-titled album. Shortly after, she was offered a waitressing job at The Hotel Café (a small venue for some of Hollywood's best). She spent another year or so waitressing there, watching other Hollywood musicians performing and being inspired by them. The owner began giving her opening slots and she slowly started gaining a following.

Things really started getting off the ground for her when Perez Hilton wrote this blog post about her. That caught the attention of agents and producers. In 2008 she sign a deal with MySpace Records and they rereleased her self-titled album. She also did a Hotel Café tour with the likes of Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles and a couple others. Since then, she has had the opportunity to tour with Eric Hutchinson, Joshua Radin and Jewel all over the country, the UK and even in Guam.

She is currently working with Styrofoam (a Belgian producer) to release her second album. She consistently plays shows in the LA area, very often at the Hotel Café. During her shows these past few years, she has been testing her new material on her audiences.

This past summer, I was lucky enough to attend one of her shows in downtown LA. It was absolutely amazing. Her voice sounded like it does on her album. She played brand new songs off her album and some new songs. One of my favorite things about her as a performer is that she tells the stories behind her songs. She seemed comfortable with her audience; she makes jokes and it all just makes her feel real and relatable.

She has a blog filled with random thoughts and images. This is part of the reason why I think she is so relatable, through her posts, the viewer is able to get to know the type of person that she is. It is a lot easier to build up her fan base this way because she is not famous enough where she doesn't have time to reply to any of her fans. Through facebook, Twitter and her blog, she has plenty of interactions with her fans, furthering their loyalty.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite songs by her (off her first album).

Pawn Stars: The Best Show on TV

2011-03-09T22:55:00.000-08:00

I don’t watch a lot of television. I like to tell myself that my lack of proficiency in the world of television is because I was deeply moved by David Foster Wallace’s “E. Unibus Pluram” (lamenting the television culture), at a young age; however, it is actually due to my perpetual forgetfulness. That being said, I thoroughly enjoy the wonders of television, and when I have the time – or more frequently when I don’t have the time, I watch many low-budget shows. I have recently discovered a show that manages to completely captivate me for the full 23 minutes of streaming online glory: Pawn Stars on the History Channel. Pawn Stars (yes, I spelled that correctly) is a show that follows the daily dealings of a pawnshop on the Las Vegas Strip.
I, unfortunately, have never experienced the wonders of a pawnshop first hand. My only knowledge of the world of pawn was alongside the seedy underbelly of society in crime dramas. Just as I know that it doesn’t take a full team of detectives to solve a single murder in three days, it is also my understanding that there is a legitimate use for pawnshops in the United States; however, I have always seen them as a place where I will obtain illicit materials after my inevitable jailbreak. Pawn Stars challenged my preconceived notions of pawnshops because it follows the daily operations of (what appears to be) a completely legitimate business, hence syndication on the History Channel.
In the short and sweet format of the half hour program, the audience meets Richard, Rick, and Corey Harrison, who span three generations of pawn stardom. What makes this show of particular interest to me is the wide range of goods that moves through the shop. The goods are better deemed artifacts because those selected for the show have incredible histories behind them, ranging from revolutionary war guns to vintage coke machines. Experts are frequently called in to determine authenticity and to estimate value, adding depth to the simple format of the show. There are also frequent forays into interpersonal relationships, which, although incredibly kitschy, provide a humorous break from the often technical and tense negotiations in the shop.
TV Guide described the show as: “One part Antiques Roadshow, a pinch of L.A. Ink, and a dash of Cops,” making Pawn Stars one of the best shows on television.

Alex Green

Revisiting My Childhood: The Lion King

2011-03-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

It seems like once I got to college, it was suddenly cool to reminisce about things from childhood. Shared nostalgia from our childhood comprised a huge chunk of conversation with other college students- talking about watching cartoons on Saturday mornings, being obsessive about the Pokémon phenomenon (some people still are), and bringing up how Pluto was still a planet when we were kids. Some of the biggest things that almost everyone seemed to treasure were Disney movies, you know, the iconic classics that, like, represented our entire childhood.

This was how I ended up sprawled on a friend’s bed on a Tuesday night, waiting in anticipation for The Lion King to start playing on his projector. We’d sent out an email to our dorm e-mail list, and gradually, people began trickling in. It was after the room was literally at capacity (I think we had about 15) that I thought it’d be fun to write my review on The Lion King. Sure, it’s practically ancient in age compared to the newest blockbusters, and everyone’s probably watched it hundreds of times already… but there’s a certain excitement in watching a Disney classic many years later.

Look at this picture and tell me that it doesn’t stir up some kind of nostalgia for your childhood.

Right when the movie started, you could tell that there was something special about the movie that set it apart from any other movie. Everyone joined together and sang along to all of the songs right at the onset, which is definitely a sight indeed. Just imagine a roomful of college-age students enthusiastically belting out karaoke-style to a Disney cartoon movie, completely enraptured in the music and the plot. From “Circle of Life” to “Hakuna Matata”, each single song felt like a recaptured essence of my childhood, and I was completely invested in every moment of it.

I swear that "Hakuna Matata" was an important cornerstone of my childhood development.

Starting off, there are just some things that I felt completely necessary to share about watching this movie. When you're a little kid, you simply watch a movie and move on with your life- there's no outside connection to any references or examples in real life. Watching The Lion King years later, all I can say is that there are some pretty deep themes that you just kind of gloss over when your'e watching it as a kid.

Have you ever noticed how much the plot of The Lion King resembles Shakespeare’s Hamlet? That was one thing that really blatantly stood out to me throughout the entire movie. Basic plotline: You have the prince of a kingdom. His evil uncle kills the king, the prince’s father, and assumes the throne. The prince leaves the kingdom, and eventually comes back and kills the evil uncle. Of course, The Lion King doesn’t end in a huge smattering of blood and death, but you can’t really market that type of stuff to kid and families anyways.

Evil uncle? Check. Evil kills father and takes over kingdom? Check, again.

Then, you have the Disney animators using allegorical references and imagery to compare Scar to Hitler. How many 7 year old kids would recognize such references? I have to admit, it took me a few moments to fully realize all of the connections that the movie had made. There’s an entirely different perspective on the movie when you’ve learned about the history and the literature that the movie constantly refers to, and it really was a new eye-opening experience for me to watch it again.

This whole scene completely went over my head as a kid.

On the other hand, you have the random things of lesser importance that you catch just from knowing more pop culture. Imagine my surprise when I’m listening to Mufasa lecture Simba in an opening scene, and all I can hear is Darth Vader. (Someone seems to get typecasted for these intense father roles) On another note, hearing Whoopi Goldberg as a hyena hench(wo)man definitely threw me off also. Even little things like this cause you to see and think of the movie in a completely new way.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Whoopi Goldberg.

While I definitely have a pretty biased view of The Lion King, there is definitely no question of the cinematic greatness of the movie. The themes of growing up, losing a loved one, and so many others are all folded into the movie, and it’s all presented in a way that even kids can understand on some level. I feel that the major reason that The Lion King is such a great movie is because it has been able to transcend its message and themes across generations, so the film is just as relevant to me when I was a kid or now as college kid. The fact that we, as college kids, still fully appreciate The Lion King as a relic of our childhood simply speaks of how strongly the movie and its themes were able to impact us as an audience.

-Jonathan Hsieh

"Cheers Bitch!"

2011-03-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

SPOILER ALERT! When the Real Housewives of Atlanta take a trip down to Florida for Cynthia’s bachelorette party Kim and NeNe get into a huge fight leading to Cynthia’s mental breakdown which is quickly solved by a couple of strippers that Phaedra hires, giving Cynthia a fresh boost of energy for her return to Atlanta. Although I’m not entirely sure that’s all that much of a spoiler. Anyone with even the most superficial knowledge of the show, someone with no clue as to the intricacies of Kim’s relationship with Big Papa or the “She by Shereé” fashion line, could figure out that virtually every episode of every season of the “Housewives” features some sort of luxurious gathering that is destroyed by gossip and fighting only to be ameliorated by another large-scale event that devolves in the same way. How do these women continue to exist when their entire lives seem to be based around petty arguments?

At the beginning of the penultimate episode of season 3 of the Atlanta Housewives, “Floridon’t,” Kim, who is on a bus tour with Kandi to promote their new songs, invites NeNe to come down to Florida early and ride on the bus with them so that she can see Kim perform. This all seems innocent enough, except for the part where Kim explains how gracious she’s being in forgiving NeNe for trying to strangle her. These women don’t forgive. They mask their anger with graciousness, the flimsiest facade one can have. Sure enough, after Kim demands things from her personal assistant, NeNe becomes upset and call’s Kim’s assistant Sweetie a “slave.” This leads to a large argument that ends with NeNe threatening to throw Kim “out the window” with the assertion: “You’re talking to a grown woman. Look, don’t even go that bullshit with me. Okay? Cus’ you’re fucking with the wrong woman. I ain’t got time for that, okay? You’re so childish and immature!”

And yet I have to question the validity of this statement. NeNe doesn’t have time for “bullshit?” It seems that NeNe’s entire life is “bullshit.” Isn’t she a “slave” to her delinquent son who constantly asks her for a place to stay, a job, and money that she always gives him? Isn’t she a slave when she lets her verbally abusive husband Greg live in the basement? She certainly seems like a slave when she gets gussied up for all these “fabulous” parties and is bossed around at her “work” as a “reporter” for a local news station. But then we get a glimpse of who NeNe really is. She started the whole argument because Kim invited her hairdresser (whose presence is questionable anyways since Kim wears a wig) and “slave” to the bachelorette party with them. Then Shereé invites her hairdresser and Kandi invites her assistant and the whole party is crashed. Kim thinks that NeNe is jealous: “I have Sweetie, Kandi has Don Juan, Shereé has Lawrence, and NeNe has nobody. Oohff.” But this is the truth. NeNe really doesn’t have anyone. In this moment, in the middle of her divorce she can see more clearly than the other superficially happy housewives that she has major problems in her life. She has no friends, has done nothing meaningful that will preserve her name for more than a few years, and has to go to elaborate parties for this TV show in order to make money now that her husband isn’t going to support her. NeNe turns her hopes to Cynthia, “Cynthia is turning out to be a really cool friend, unlike the rest of these bitches,” but Cynthia has her own problems and is completely unable to play the “Housewives” game.

Cynthia wonders “What happened to my relaxing weekend?” because she is blissfully unaware that the weekend was never going to be relaxing in a traditional sense. When Kandi asks her where she’s going for her honeymoon she bursts out in tears because her fiancee took all her money and put it into a money-pit of a restaurant that ultimately failed. NeNe, who has been playing the game for far too long, tries to console her with “You upset for real?” The problem is that Cynthia is upset for real, acknowledging her serious problems instead of “relaxing” (more like bickering) with the others. She does something that most people would find admirable saying: “I got a lot going on. I tried to forget about it while I was here but I have to deal with it” but boy is that a mistake. Housewives don’t deal with their problems, ever. Shereé responds: “You ungrateful bitch! Everybody flew their ass up here to support you. Get over it! Get from under NeNe’s ass and woman up! Seriously!” To us Cynthia might seem a strong woman for trying to face her problems and move on with a man she claims to love even without money but to the others, she is abandoning them, leaving their rather lame attempt at a party to confront something fearful.

Cynthia is about to walk into a marriage with a man who took all her money, is significantly older than her, and is verbally abusive as well as having to deal with the realization that she’s growing old (in the words of Phaedra “Cynthia might be a model but in that swimsuit she’s looking like a pretzel dipped in cottage cheese.”). NeNe is in the middle of a divorce with her also verbally abusive husband, has an older son who still lives at home and parties all night with no aspirations for the future, and realizes that she hates all these women she is supposed to be “friends” with. Kim has finally broken up with the “love of her life,” Big Papa, because he is never going to leave his wife to be with her. Phaedra has a newborn baby that was likely conceived with another man while her convict husband was in jail. Kandi’s fiancee died and she is still trying to portray herself as a singer even as her one Grammy for songwriting came over ten years ago. And Shereé just finished dating a man who lied about being a doctor, is completely broke, and is now trying to be an actress after the failure of her fashion line. These women have monumental problems but they replace them with parties and fighting, in effect dealing with these smaller issues so that they never have to face the big ones.

And that is what makes the “Real Housewives” so successful. We can watch them fail and feel good about ourselves in the way that our lives are not catastrophically falling apart and we can feel good that other people, even rich and bitchy ones, have serious problems with their lives. We can feel hope that everything will get better. The Housewives always get another chance, there’s always another charity auction or fashion show or vacation to go on, there’s always another person to hold a grudge against, there’s always another person who tries to pull your wig off your head, and there’s always another person who’ll act like they forgive you when they still hate your guts. There’s always another day for forgiveness. The Housewives might never get their redemption but this promise is offered to us, if only we choose to take it.

-Noah Cort

Another Princess Makes the (Hair)Cut

2011-03-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

As a Disney purist, I have believed since 3D animation became the norm of children’s movies that a 3D character could never become a true ‘Disney princess’. This phrase has been used for years to describe the collection of princesses that starred in acclaimed Disney movies such as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. This elite group had ended in my mind, as well as in my childhood, with Mulan. In 2009, Tiana from Princess and the Frog joined the group, but once all us 90’s kids realized Disney had no true intention in returning to the 2D animation we knew and loved any time soon, the criteria for princesshood became unobtainable. Or so I thought…

At the end of 2010, Disney released their first 3D animated princess movie Tangled, and I have to admit I was blown away. Not only was this movie Disney’s second-highest grossing animated film of all time (The Lion King remains the first), but it reminded me why I wanted to be a Disney princess growing up. Disney princesses are strong, independent women who know what they want, and who get things done. Rapunzel is no exception. Instead of waiting for a man to save her, she takes charge of her own future and doesn't take no for an answer. In this new twist on the classic fairytale the evil witch needs Rapunzel’s magic hair, to keep her young, the “prince” (Flynn Ryder) is actually a thief, and Rapunzel has a pet chameleon who steals the show. Ryder runs across Rapunzel accidentally while trying to hide in her tower after robbing the castle and Rapunzel knocks him out. She takes what he stole, and agrees to give it back only if he takes her to the palace for the one celebration she’s always longed to see from outside her tower. Though their relationship initially stems from a mutual deal, the two grow to love each other more and more as they tackle each trial that confronts them and the movie ends in the typical happily ever after sap that makes Disney movies so great.

As cheesy as it sounds, I laughed, I cried, and I truly enjoyed this movie as much as any of the classics from my childhood. Tangled deserves every bit of recognition and success it attained. I am excited to add the first 3D princess to my collection, and I certainly hope Rapunzel won’t be the last.

Acabee: Visualizing the Future of Online Education

2011-03-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

By Derek Ouyang

The following is an overview of a nonprofit project I am working on with two friends, started last October. Please check out our website: http://acabee.org/

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The Problem

According to an article in The Economist , the U.S. education system recently slipped again in world rankings. As of 2009 the richest country in the world also sports the most disappointing education system, ranked at number 11 far behind China, South Korea, and Finland. Throwing money at the problem does not seem to be producing adequate results. I believe that part of the problem is geographical - the U.S. lacks a uniform distribution of teaching talent across its fifty states. A child in Massachusetts receives a far different educational experience than a child in Mississippi. Even within states there exists a severe difference in education standards and teaching standards between counties. Children who want most to learn and succeed are not always paired with good teachers. Consequently the U.S. faces a huge problem of wasted talent that increases yearly with the growth of our population.

The Solution

Acabee’s mission is to provide high-quality educational videos on academic subjects for students, made by students. Two of my friends and I were inspired by Khan Academy, started by Salman Khan, who has been very successful with his YouTube videos. However, we have one major difference in ideology: we believe that the process of learning happens best through the act of teaching. Many viewers believe that Khan is qualified to teach because he is intelligent. On the contrary, we think that the process of creating videos is precisely what broadened and deepened his intelligence. In other words, we think Khan Academy has it backwards; an even better system would be to give anybody the tools to make videos, add those videos to a growing community of knowledge, and allow all contributors to grow intellectually through the process. Only recently have we realized that the act of teaching is one of the most powerful ways to learn. We want to turn that idea into a social movement through this website.

Our end goal is to create a library of knowledge for students in areas of the U.S. where access to the best teachers or schools is limited. If we could create high-quality videos on every subject, then any student would have free access to the best one-way instruction possible. Using the connectivity of social media, we can ensure that geography will never again limit a child’s potential for success.

Impact

The impact our organization could have in terms of scale is potentially huge. One talented teacher in the public school system could teach maybe a maximum of 280 students per year (40 students per class, 7 classes per day). One talented teacher on Acabee can reach an unlimited number of students. Every year a total of $634.1 billion in government funding is earmarked for education. Yet, according to education director for the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “There are countries which don't get the bang for the bucks, and the U.S. is one of them.” Furthermore, $624.5 billion of that total amount is provided by local governments. It is precisely local governments in states within the Sunbelt, such as Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama , that struggle most with reaching national education standards, and with whom we believe we would find the most initial success.

Progress

On the night of founding, my roommate and I made four simple videos and realized that the model could be scaled. After two weeks of production, we had a website with sixty videos on topics ranging from high school-level algebra and physics to college-level economics and computer science. At that point, we decided it would be more efficient to focus our efforts on structured curricula, or sequences of videos on a certain concept. To do that, we organized a sophomore fellowship with the Freshman & Sophomore College at Stanford University, in which we formed a team of undergraduates from a variety of fields to meet on a weekly basis, producing small video series based on core textbooks, International Baccalaureate guidelines, Stanford courses, or simply personal interest. Meanwhile, we were contacted by high school students who had noticed our site and wanted to expand our high school educational content. Currently Arcadia High School in southern California has a team of students producing AP Physics videos and will soon explore other curriculum projects.

In five months, despite our heavy Stanford workloads and almost no publicity, Acabee has managed to produce over 200 videos from over 20 contributors, with hundreds more to come.

For more videos, please check out our website: http://acabee.org/

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References

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/12/education?page=1

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/us_education_spending_20.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2003-09-16-education-comparison_x.htm

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/your-child-left-behind/66069/

Charlie Sheen

2011-03-09T01:36:00.000-08:00

By Oliver Friedberg

In light of the recent social media frenzy surrounding Charlie Sheen, I decided to focus on him for this blog post. For some reason in class I said I was going to write a sonnet, and when I give my word, I keep it.

Charlie Sheen, God among Men

Supreme Gnar, gnarliest of gnarlingtons,

Show me your ways. How is it you are you?

Boom, crush, night losers: you’re hot as two Suns,

Soaring to great heights and loving the view.

King of kings, may you never cease to win.

Tiger blood in your veins, your fists breathe fire;

You’re a high priest Vatican assassin

Who nightly slays a Goddess’ desire.

Messiah of raging, rage on and again.

For breakfast this Monday, what will you choose:

Enough blow to kill two and a half men,

Seven gram rocks, or limitless booze?

Keep breaking records, beds, egos, and such,

Charlie, great warlock with the Midas touch.

"Fixin' to Die" by G. Love

2011-03-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

Garrett Dutton, better known as "G. Love", has been wailing on his harmonica and stringing out guitar melodies behind his prototype blues voice for the better part of two decades. Best known as being a close buddy of mellow acoustic groover Jack Johnson, G. Love has paved a solid career of his own by mixing alternative hip-hop grooves with melodic soothers that have the ladies clamoring for the stage in his high intensity live performances.

While G. Love has found moderate success with this formula, after years of the same old, same old he figures to switch up the pace and get "back to his roots" with his most recent release, entitled "Fixin' to Die". The producers, Scott and Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers fame, leave their mark on G. Love's new work which is evident only seconds in to the lead off title track. The second track, "The Road", is a classic alt-country/bluegrass influenced rocker that features a banjo and bass back beat that allows G. Love to flourish when he takes lead vocals and lets his harmonica rip in between verses. One of the funnest moments comes in the fourth track, "Milk and Sugar". G. Love always has to use some sort of drink metaphor to talk about his ladies, and this time he talks about how every morning he needs his milk and sugar when "that road is long and the times are hard". A music video of the song being recorded in a church turned recording studio in Asheville, North Carolina shows G. Love and the Avetts smiling and foot-tapping to no end as they croon- "Make that coffee strong and sweet and fill my cup".

While the album flattens and nearly falters in a few ways- an attempt at Paul Simon's classic "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", and "Just Fine", a song that would seem to fit on one of G. Love's albums from years past, it hits its mark the best when the Avett's influence comes through the most. Back to back tracks "You've Got to Die" and "Walk On" resonate the most because G. Love drops everything unneccessary for stripped-down jams that are made for keeping you company on a late night drive.

Standout Tracks: "The Road", "Milk and Sugar"
Weak Links: "Pale Blue Eyes", "Get Goin'"

Verdict: 7.5/10

-Brad Busby

Wikipedia Game

2011-03-07T02:57:00.000-08:00

In 2001, Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched the website Wikipedia, a free, collaborative encyclopedia for the internet. Since that time, Wikipedia has become the most popular online reference work and, as of this moment, ranks eighth among all websites in terms of daily traffic. Wikipedia is one of the greatest examples of our time for demonstrating the power that democracy and technology (i.e., the internet) can exercise in concert with each other.

One of Wikipedia's most amazing tools is its capability for revealing interconnectedness. This is shown no better than in the "Wikipedia Game," a challenge of sorts that has penetrated popular culture. The objective of the game is to get from a designated start page to a designated finishing page, in as few clicks as possible. For instance, I can get from the Baltic Sea to Mushroom in seven clicks (Baltic Sea --> Isostasy --> Gravitation, Newton, Leibniz, Biology, Drosphila melanogaster, Mushroom). Can you do better?

Cyberspace is a small world, after all, but in a sea of information each of is captain of his own ship. So, go get your Magellan on and explore the uncharted frontier!