Graduating and Lost

I hope I'm not the only one who is plagued with indecision and anxiety about graduating this Spring and the immense amount of confusion about what is to come next. Will I go to graduate school? part-time? full-time? Or will I throw myself right into the world of looking for a career that is satisfying on all of the necessary levels--mind, body, spirit, wallet. This article from new york times magazine explains a lot of different persectives of what goes into a job search and some tips for young adults (like us) looking to find their way in the work field. I especially enjoy the first few graphs -- setting a scene of a much different life of the past contrasting the technology run system in which we currently live. Hope this helps on your travels from the collegiate to professional world.

Being Hard is Killing Them

This week one of XXL's writers, Byron Crawford, blogged about an issue plaguing the hip-hop community: death and dying young. While this isn't a new issue to anyone, regardless of whether or not you follow this genre of music (the trials and tribulations of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. are wellknown with those following the industry also aware of individuals such as Big L and Proof) but the angle from which Crawford talked about this problem was new. Strokes. Seizures. Kidney failure. These problems are putting rappers in the hospital and they aren't old men.

DMX was in the hospitol after a stroke as was Nate Dogg (he's on number two now). DMX is 37. Nate Dogg is 39.

Or how about MC Breed, 36, who just got off life support after a kidney failure?

Something Crawford didn't touch on is why this is happening. He merely reported that it was happening but I have a feeling there is a reason and it isn't coincedence.

These rappers are all from the harder rap scene. They have been involved in beefs, had run-ins with the law and keep the persona 24/7 that they are not to be f***ed with. That takes a toll on your body. It's stress related. How mean does DMX look in that picture above? Its a fulltime job to look that angry and mean all the time. Being hard may be killing the grandfathers of rap.

New Fucked Up Records

Toronto's most notorious punk band, Fucked Up, has released the single from their upcoming "Chemisty of Common Life" album. The single is called "Crooked Head" and has been released with a song exclusive to the record called "I Hate Summer." However, the single is nothing new to die hard fans, who already heard it when the album leaked in August.

Fucked Up is currently on tour promoting their new records, and will be playing in New York at the Bowery Ballroom with Vivian Girls and Mind Eraser on October 15.

19 Year Old Girl Killed by Police Car

19 year old former Ellenville resident, Tiffany Weddle, was killed Sunday night after crossing Route 208 at around 9pm. The car was an unmarked police vehicle driven by part-time officer John Bennet. Weddle was crossing the rode from her Montgomery apartment to get a snack from the Hess station across the street when she was struck by the police car.

The driver was headed towards Maybrook on a call for a fight and is now at Arden Hill campus of Orange Regional Medical Center. Officer Bennet has been with the department for over 20 years and is very distraught by the situation.

Tiffany Weddle was a 2007 Ellenville High School graduate and former cheerleader. She died at St. Luke's Hospital. Investigations are now underway to find out if the officers lights and sirens were on at the time of the incident.

The article explained a brief synopsis of the story but I wonder how this one is going to turn out. Is it going to be the police officers fault or the girls fault. Route 208 is a relatively busy road to be crossing during rain at night. We will have to wait and see how this one plays out.

More Britney Drama

I find it weird, not to mention unfair that celebrities get special treatment. They're normal people with a little higher notoriety than most people. This case with Britney Spears is the newest crazy celebrity trial and they're trying to postpone it because she's still not psychologically fit to go through with it. Anyone else in the country with the same psychological problems as Britney wouldn't get a second look at, they'd go through with the trial and condemn them for their crimes and get labeled irresponsible. Not Britney though, she just gets called a psycho and she's off the hook. I can't wait to see how this trial unfolds and what kind of actions are taken.

Scarlett Johansson Ties the Knot to Fellow Actor

Scarlett Johansson recently went from actress to actress/singer and single to now married. This past May, Johansson released her own album called Anywhere I Lay My Head, produced by Dave Sitek and features two tracks with David Bowie. The album has an original written by Johansson along with four songs written by Tom Waits and six songs written by Kathleen Brennan and Waits. What is even bigger for Johansson than her album release four months ago, is that this past Saturday September 27 she tied the knot to actor Ryan Reynolds. The two had announced their engagement also in May before the album officially was released. Johansson has now broadened her future with an album under her belt and a hubby to come home to.

Clay is gay?! OMG no way!

Yes, it is true. Dozens of media outlets revealed erlier this week that the ex-American Idol hopeful is finally admitting he is gay. Of course the biggest news here is that everyone could have guessed it. Reuters gave a good run down of the situation including the birth of Clay's new baby boy, Parker Foster Aiken. Clay's "official" outting came on Wednesday on the cover of People magazine where he was holding his son and the caption read "Yes, I'm Gay." Of course Perezhilton.com released a photo of the cover on Tuesday. Another quote on the cover, "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things," gives good, honest reasoning as to why he is deciding to come out now.

on a side note, Bill Maher had a funny little faux People magazine cover with a bear in the woods stating an obvious fact "I S%#t here." Unfortunatly the website has not yet posted that episode.

House Rejects $700 billion Bailout

With the country in the midst of an economic crisis, the Bush administration proposed a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street in order to avoid a financial collapse. According to this article published in The New York Times, the House rejected the bill as of earlier this morning. As soon as the results were released, stocks plummeted even further, causing the Dow industrials to fall more than 5 percent. Supporters of the bill claimed the it was necessary to avoid an economic collapse that would not only affect Wall Street but also millions of Americans, while those who opposed it claimed it might lead to having to use taxpayers' money to fix many bad investments from Wall Street.

Immigration, the Sincerest Form of Flattery?

You have to hand it to Vice for putting together interesting and engaging investigations into serious issues. This video is the first in an 8 part series dealing with immigration in Los Angeles. Although the site itself sometimes leans towards pretentiousness, it's investigations like these which I find to be most informative. From interviews with former Crips, the head of American Apparel Dov Charvey, to the leader of the Minutemen, Jilm GilChrist, these videos made me think about the larger ramifications and and arguments in immigration law and policy. This is one of those issues where everyone and there dog has an opinion, from pundits on news channels to a supposedly insightful book by Geraldo Riveria entitled HISpanic. I found that Vices video's did much to tell the story of the immigrant, how there families, freinds and themselves were personally affected, giving the report a sympathetic context. Some really well put together compreshensive information can be found at The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration.
As aspiring journalists, it's our job to stayed informed about a wide array of subjects and issues. Anything that can get you interested is a good thing.

Iraqis don't believe in CHANGE

There is a short but interesting piece on msnbc.com, FOR WEARY IRAQIS, U.S ELECTION SMELLS OF ‘HONEY PROMISES’ . In an Iraqi coffee shop the Democratic conevention is on the T.V. in the background but the patrons in the shop don't pay much attention. They are fed up with these politics and have little hope for change.
Everyday we are bombarded with covergae on the presidential race and we all debate amongst ourselves about which candidate we would prefer, and who would bring about the most significant changes. However, it is rare that we look at this campaign from a different perspective, from the view of someone not within this country but rather at war with this country. It is just another way that Americans seem to be sheltered in our nation's war media free bubble.

Chinese Democracy Release

In the upcoming movie "Body of Lies" which is in theaters October 10 you can hear Guns n' Roses "If the World." The song is from their yet to be released "Chinese Democracy." Listen for the song during the end credits of the movie. An unnamed source tells "Rolling Stone" that the band has reserved November 25 as a possible release date for "Chinese Democracy."

photo: rollingstone.com

Less Funding for Pell Grants?

This article talks about the need for up to 6 billion more dollars to provide for Pell Grants. Currently, there are 800,000 more people who applied for aid than there were last year, and the Pell Grants provide money for 6 million students. With this increase of not only aid applicants but people attending college the grants are going to need more money; college is too expensive for many people to afford without some type of aid. The Pell Grants make college possible for many low-income students. However, there is some good news. Because the Pell Grant is a popular form of aid there's a good chance that it won't be cut.

Action is Underway

As graduation rates increase, so does the number of accepted students. Most of the accepted students are largely full time freshman students who need full time services like that of housing. As the colleges capacity goal remains the same since the late 80's, the needs of the students have recognizably changed greatly with in the last ten year. In the noted ten years there has been an increase of on campus residents and only two new dorms built. This year there is a record high number of residents living on campus in dorms, causing more these students to live in triples.

Future expansion plans are currently in the works to give residence more breathing room.The Vice President of Enrollment Management, David Eaton disclosed to me this week that that the college has just recently acquired 40 acres of property located next to the campus. “We’re hoping to build in short term, apartment style housing for undergraduate students, particularly for upper division students. That is not finalized; there may be more single undergraduate housing similar to the residence halls on campus now.” The future plans of expansion are consistent to the nature of the college’s prosperity.

Google Branches Out

Google comes up with their first cell phone. T-Mobile will be the lucky winner of the first Android cell phone. Android, is Google’s new cell phone operating system. Android will eventually picked up by as many as 30 carriers after they see the launch. The G1, with Android, is going to be comparable to the iPhone. It will have a touch screen, Wi-Fi, accelerometer that rotates the screen when you turn it, finger slide to unlock, over-the-air downloadable application store and music store, which is all similar to the iPhone, with the addition of Google Maps as a feature. In almost every way this phone will be just like the iPhone. One big difference is the full QWERTY keyboard and plethora of external buttons and eternal expandable memory slot. This phone has potential to be great but the provider T-Mobile from my own experience is not worthy of such a phone. On a positive note the phone is unlocked, which means you can use it on any provider after a period of time.

Good Things Come To Those Who Farm

Check out this heartwarming story about a urban farmer, Will Allen, who received a 500,00 dollar genius grant for his "Growing Power" organization, which includes six greenhouses, eight hoophouses for greens, herbs, and vegetables, goats, ducks, turkeys, a chicken coop, and beehives, as well as an advanced composting operation. Allen, 36 full time employees, and 2,000 volunteers, raise about 500,000 dollars worth of fresh, affordable produce, meat, and fish in Milwaukee's inner city. With the grant, Allen hopes to increase his organization, as well as outfit the entire place with renewable energy.

 "I'd like to see Growing Power transform itself into a five-story vertical building being totally off the grid with renewable energy, where people can come and learn, so they can go back to their communities around the world and grow healthy food," said Allen. His food, free of chemicals, is a healthy substitute in a city where the majority of food available is processed. 

To see the entire story, check out the article! 

Video Game = Better Sound Quality?

Who would have thought that the new Metallica album Death Magnetic would have sounded better when played on Guitar Hero than it would have on the CD? Ummm, I don't think anyone and alot of fans that have listened to and played the tracks from the album on the game have argued that point. They have also threatened to master the tracks on the game and share them with the world for comparison. Check that article out here.

Thanks to bittersoft.com for the image!

Round 1 of Obama vs. McCain

And so it begins. The series of presidential debates that can undoubtedly make or break a candidate. I sat, quite literally, on the edge of my seat the entire time, feeling so nervous that you would think I was the one up there debating in front of millions of people. Overall, I don't think it was "make or break" for either candidate in this first debate, but I did think each candidate held his own very well.

Both Obama and McCain made strong arguments without stumbling, and I think that to all the people watching who were unsure if Obama was capable or "strong" enough to be president, he proved that he can undoubtedly fight against the "maverick." Speaking of which, I got increasingly angry over the course of the debate with how unbelievably rude and inconsiderate John McCain was. In my Argumentation class, we watched a PBS special that analyzed past debates, and we learned that little things like facial expressions are more important than we might think. And I think that McCain's mannerisms on Friday night could have cost him a few supporters. Almost every time that Obama would speak, particularly when he would criticize McCain's war knowledge or talk about something that he strongly disagrees with, I kept seeing McCain smirking and laughing. It was like he wasn't taking Obama's points seriously. Just look at this clip:





Additionally, McCain told Obama four times that he "doesn't understand." It was "Senator Obama doesn't understand this" and "Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand that." At one point, he told Obama that he didn't know the difference between a strategy and a tactic. He also called Obama naive. It was 90 minutes of McCain talking down to him.

As far as who "won" the debate, the general consensus is that there is no clear winner on this one. Some polls show people think Obama won, and others show people think McCain won, but each is by a small margin. Many are undecided, or think it was a tie. But it seems that people favor Obama when it comes to the economy, but McCain when it comes to foreign policy. So far, it's difficult to tell what kind of impact this debate will have on support for either candidate. The last poll on CNN shows 48% for Obama, and 43% for McCain. Tomorrow's results might reveal more.

Tattoos Are OK...Even On The Neck And Hands

In recent years, tattoo taboos have lessened or even been eliminated.  At one time, someone inked with visible tattoos - especially on the neck or hands - would have a fairly difficult time finding employment.  Now, it is possible to be a very successful career person even with tattoos on your neck and hands.

This article from the New York Times demonstrates the very real accessibility to those with multiple tattoos and piercings.  These people are no longer thought to done prison time, but are often looked at as artists.  We've come a long way from the ideals of our grandparents.

New Paltz Bank Robbery

The police are searching for a suspect in a bank robbery that happened on Friday morning, at 11:30 am (yes, right when our class was going on). The Wachovia Bank on 29 Main Street was robbed by a man desribed as a white man in his thirties, 5 feet 11 inches tall, slender build and weighing about 200 pounds. He also has black hair and a black beard.

The suspect supposedly handed the teller a note demanding cash and the teller gave him an undisclosed amount. I am not sure if this is the first bank robbery to happen in New Paltz but I know it is very odd to hear of this happening in this relatively laid back town. The New Paltz Police Department are encouraging people to contact them at 845-255-1323 with any details about the incident. There is also an anonymous tip line for people to call at 845-255-1357 or on its Web site at http://www.newpaltzpolice.org/.

photo credited to www.topix.com

Cool Hand Luke, Paul Newman, dead at 83

Legendary actor Paul Newman died on Friday after his fight against lung cancer ended.  He was eighty-three years old.  He was most famous for the films Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Cool Hand Luke.  Although he was widely known for his acting talents, he was even more successful with his philanthropy; using Newman's Own salad dressings and organic products to help those in need.  However, with his death there are questions that come to mind about the legacy that will be left behind for Newman's Own and whether or not the company can continue without his famous face.  It's sad to see such a gifted actor die, especially one that used his fame for the betterment of others.  

Pain Au Chocolat is heritage listed? Tres Magnifique!

Picture: www.manisbakery.com

The Great Barrier Reef and Galapagos Islands are truly magnificant examples of the 7 Wonders of the World. But aside from natural wonders, there is also an organization known as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) that aims to preserve the less tangible wonders of the world - from folk singing in Albania to ox-herding in Costa Rica. And now the French want in too. In an article in the New York Times (24th September 2008), top French chefs petitioned to have their 'Gastronomy' listed as one of these 'cultural wonders'. The French are good at everything (just ask them!) but particularly at food...so it makes sense doesn't it?


While the verdict is still out on whether le French get their way, I found the article very interesting - especially when they speak about the French farm that grows 1500 different crops! This certainly makes those mono-culture lettuce farms look bleak .

"It is going to be part of the president’s job to deal with more than one thing at once."

The title is in reference to Obama's reaction to McCain's suspension of his campaign, and proposal to postpone the Friday night Presidential Debate. McCain has suspended his campaign to re-locate to Washington D.C. to meet about and help the economic crisis facing Wall Street and America as a whole. McCain's abrupt stall in his campaign has affected others as well, as Senator McCain was supposed to appear on the Late Show with David Letterman, but cancelled at the last minute because of the campaign suspension. Letterman was left with no guest, and his reaction to McCain's no-show was quite entertaining. Check it out below:

Remember Mariah?

I read a recent article about Mariah Carey's new venture as a global hunger ambassador and realized this is probably the first news i heard from the singer in a very long time. Carey is doing it on behalf of the Yum! Foundation's World Hunger Relief campaign. Obviously she will be curing hunger through her high pitched singing abilities. by picking up a coded card at various fast food restaurants, supporters can then go online and purchase Mariah's new song "Love Story" from her newest album "E=MC2". $.25 cents from each download will go towards the campaign. I know of no one who would actually participate in this but i guess its worth a shot.

The article then goes on to discuss the possibility of Mariah making movie (im sure of only for TV) to go along with her Christmas album. This could work seeing that she is somewhat of a Miley Cyrus for the older generation; wholesome, never involved in too much scandal.

You May be Ingesting More Chemicals Than You Think

Plastic may seem a really convenient means of storing food and beverages, but research has shown that it is bad for your health. A recent article on the National Geographic website states that an ingredient in some plastics, called Bisphenol A (BPA), could potentially cause diabetes and heart disease. The article which sites a study, claims that this is actually old news. For years scientists have been warning that this chemical acts like hormones in the body, resultantly causing brain damage. Yet even though there's all of this evidence from numerous studies, the FDA maintains it's stance that the chemical is safe for humans. 

This article was really quite interesting and it includes ways to avoid exposure to BPA, like drinking from glass bottles. 

Celebrities for President

It isn’t breaking news that celebrities are getting a little out of control with this year’s election but it isn’t like political party members aren’t enjoying it. They’re actually getting a lot more than t.v. time and I honestly see nothing wrong with publicized support but it are those who are easily influenced that vote in favor of or against what’s his name because Joe Schmo is or isn’t. Let’s grow up people. To make a “good” decision (whatever that is), one must be informed. Ever heard someone say “to make an informed decision … ”?

Presidential candidates, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain, are being called celebrities as if it were a bad thing. While some argue the nation’s president shouldn’t be viewed as a celebrity, others (like those who elected Arnold Schwarzenegger for governor of California) don’t mind it so much.

The candidates are refusing to be called “celebrities” too, now, and it’s probably because if you take a look at what today’s celebrities are doing with themselves and how the behave, why would anyone want to be considered one of “them”?

But being a celebrity doesn’t have to be so bad. There are no dictionaries that define a celebrity as Brad Pitt or Michael Jackson, the common definition for a celebrity is “one who is well known,” “commands public attention,” “a famous person” … blah blah blah. And I don’t know about you but wouldn’t you consider the person in charge of running your nation “famous”? Shouldn’t that person be “well known”?

Society treats candidates and presidents just like we treat every other celebrity. We spend so much time questioning candidates — down to what type of under garments they wear (at least they’re wearing them), so why not consider them celebrities in a positive way?

Rappers are hurting Obama's chances?

I read an interesting article in The Village Voice that spoke about the benefits and disadvantages of having celebrities (particularly rappers in this instance) supporting the presidential candidates. This article caught me by surprise a bit because I never really realized just how much influence these cultural icons have on impressionable citizens. Don’t get me wrong, I know they have a good deal of power, but enough power to make or break an election? Now that’s just ridiculous! The article mentioned that rappers in general tend to favor Obama in this years election and that they have been been producing endorsement tracks in his honor. These tracks however don’t merely endorse Obama but they also bash the other candidates in an effort to raise Obama above them. (I am not very technically savvy and cannot for the life of me figure out how to post a youtube video on here, so if you follow this link it will lead you to an Obama endorsement video by the rapper Ludacris.) The piece said that this is likely to do more harm to his campaign than good because this will just serve to piss people off, not to make them sway their votes in his favor.

In another related article from Fox News, Lindsay Lohan offered to help the Obama campaign by hosting/organizing events aimed at the younger voters in the U.S. She wished the spike their interest in the election and to persuade them to vote, for Obama in particular. Lohan’s offer was ultimately declined because her social image is currently tarnished to say the least. All in all I just find it really interesting that these cultural figures could have that large of an impact on the election. To say that the mere presence of just a small handful of these stars helping out in the campaign of one of the candidates could ultimately make or break their chances at becoming president is just ludicrous to me.

Fall Album Preview

I was looking at Rolling Stones Fall Album Preview and maybe it could be a good couple months for albums. Bob Dylan, Queen, Britney Spears, 50 Cent, Ludacris, John Legend and Oasis are just some of the big names releasing albums. Check it out and look to see if your favorite artist has a little something dropping.

Spirit Day 2008

Martin Geraghty, a RA in Levefre Hall, celebrates during the three-legged race at Spirit Day on Sunday.  Photo by Doron Tyler Antrim.

On Sunday, Old Main Quad at SUNY New Paltz was the stage for Spirit Day.  I attended the event with my suite mate, who is also a member of Levefre Hall government.  Never having experienced a Spirit Day before, I was unsure what to expect.  Frankly, I was lured solely by the promise of a free t-shirt with participation.  

I met with fellow residents of Levefre Hall (most were resident assistants or members of hall government) in our main lounge and we walked across campus to Old Main Quad sporting face paint and wearing our free shirts that proclaimed, "Catch The Fevre."

Beginning at 11:00 a.m., Spirit Day consisted of an energizing mix of team competition and cheerleading contests between all thirteen residence halls.  The halls competed in events such as the three-legged race, sack race, tug-of-war, and pie eating contest.  Spirit Day concluded with a lip-sync contest in Elting Gym at 7:00 p.m.

I had an amazing time at Spirit Day.  The competitions were fun and I made new friends in the process.  (Not to mention the endless photo-taking opportunities.)  And for all those who feel as I once did, that these types of student-organized events are a waste of time, I'd challenge them to give the events a chance.  I did and didn't regret it.  

For more photos from Spirit Day, visit my Facebook page.  All photos by Doron Tyler Antrim.

Once Again, Artificial Sweeteners Are Bad For You

In an article today in the New York Times, Duke University finds new ammunition against Splenda as to why it is harmful for human consumption. According to the article, studies have shown that the popular brand "contributes to obesity, destroys 'good' intestinal bacteria and prevents prescription drugs from being absorbed."

This isn't the first time that concerns have been raised (remember the cancer scare of Sweet 'n Low?) about artificial sweeteners. The ironic thing is that Duke University was funded by the Sugar Association, a lobbyist group in favor of the Sugar Industry. A lot of skeptics are weary of the validity in the study done by Duke University, even though the study did indeed show Splenda to be harmful once consumed.

So will this artificial sweetener scare blow over just like the Saccharin carcinogen scare in the 80s and 90s? More studies obviously need to be done (and possibly from some outside, uninvolved groups). Check out this article from CNN in 1998 in which the executive committee of the National Toxicology Program voted to remove Saccharin from the possible carcinogen list sighting a weak link betweent he sweetener and cancer. Possible link? History repeating itself? Or will the FDA step in and take this harmful product off the market?

Pesticides and ADHD

I talked to someone who told me that many kids who have ADHD got it from pesticides in their food. Not wanting to believe everything I hear I looked into it further. I found research that linked pesticides with a number of neurological diseases like ADHD and Gulf War Syndrome. There was a study done that showed children who had been exposed to higher levels of pesticide produce showed learning disabilities, behavior problems, and other signs of significatn brain disfunctions. They also found chemical contaminants in their blood and urine. It's really uncomfortable. So not only are we more likely to get cancer, but we're more likely to have neurological damage eating non organic food. The more and more I research, the scarier eating seems.

A New Planet?

There seems to be what might be known as a new planet that has been found by astronomers from the University of Toronto. They published a picture of an image of this ‘maybe planet’ orbiting another Sun-like star just recently. According to the New York Times, “The planet, according to their observations, is 7 to 12 times as massive as Jupiter and is about 30 billion miles from a star known as 1RXS J160929.1-210524, about 500 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.”

From the islands of Hawaii in Mauna Kea last spring, astronomers used a 270-inch diameter Gemini North Telescope and found sharpened images of both a star and a planet. Even though they found this so called planet last spring, they also found two other so-called “exo-planets” that have been photographed in 2004. One of the red specks that they observed was about five times the mass of Jupiter “orbiting a kind of failed star known as a brown dwarf in the constellation Hydra.”

Even though astronomers in Toronto don't know if this is really a new planet or not, they are still doing research about the planet and its star in order to figure out what should be known.


To check out the article use this link... http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/science/space/18planet.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

Last game 85 years later

Tonight's game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles was the final one played at the original Yankee Stadium, "a baseball field which is rife with nostalgic sentiment and fond memories of one of America's favorite sports."

The Yankee Stadium located in East 161st Street and River Avenue in the Bronx, was the home of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees since 1923 . It hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games through out the years since their first game against the Boston Red Sox in April 18, 1923 and had a capacity of 57,545.

In 2006, construction began on a new stadium costing about $1.6 billion and will be adjacent to the original stadium. The Yankees are expecting to open their new home in 2009 and the old stadium will be demolished and turned into a parkland. Although the construction is bitter-sweet, Yankee fans will enjoy this historic sport in a brand new home, which will be filled with much more memories to come.

Steinem on Palin

Let me just put it out there: Sarah Palin terrifies me.  It seems like not a day has gone by since her nomination that I haven't heard some new and shocking story about her former and current views on wildlife protection, reproductive rights and a myriad of other things. So I was relieved to find this article written by respected journalist and renowned feminist Gloria Steinem. As always, Steinem gives a clear, intelligent and straight forward look at the politics of Sarah Palin, and McCain's reasoning in choosing her.

Innerpartysystem... Enough Said!!!

For those of you that enjoy innovative musical arrangements drowned in techno, synthesizer, techno and more synthesizer then you will love Innerpartysystem. This past Wednesday at The Loft in Poughkeepsie, NY Innerpartysystem dazzled the crowd with an amazing eight song set which flowed as one giant piece of brain frying performance. The light show that accompanied the performance through my neural senses into overdrive! Think of NIN, but a little poppier. The energy could be felt in every person that bare witness to the aww inspiring performance which ended with them performing their single "Don't Stop". Their new album will be in stores September 30th and is a self titled debut.

Oh Sarah Palin

Now this is what we are talking about, as a political event such as the presidential election unfolds we find out all the gossip and details of a candidates life they wish was still hidden. This story from the New York Times is about how Sarah Palin would bill the state of Alaska for the time she spent at home. Palin collected just under $20,000 besides her $125,000 salary .All government employs have the right to be reimbursed for the traveling they do while working. I agree that this would make sense but if you are abusing the system you are just hurting yourself, your state, and your chances of becoming vice president. From what the article says Palin would not count the place where she spent most of her time as her main office, her decision let her charge the state so she could stay home and get extra money. Other states felt this as unjust and would not allow something like this to happen. On example used in the article was Governor David Paterson, Paterson used the office where he lives in Harlem as his main office. When Paterson would have to travel upstate to Albany, our capital, he receives no allowance for his trip and stays at the governors’ mansion. A Governor who speaks of all the money she has saved her great state by selling the states jet and driving herself to work sure has a strange way of saving my by billing the state so she can be at home. It might be a difficult situation for her to commute to and from her main office so she made it pay off for her. You also have to remember that she ran for Governor and decided where her office would be. It’s not like she was plucked up one day and had to change her life and was put in such an unjust situation. Palin knew what she was doing when she ran and took advantage of the people she was supposed to be helping so she says.

Politics Drama...Who Cares?

Politics drama. If you are following this year's presidential debate, which who isn't?, then you will notice there is a ton of hype. It's everywhere and everyone is paying attention, and everyone is getting involved, and everyone has an opinion to weigh in or a judgement to pass. Sure this election is historical. The first African American to run for President and the first female to run for Vice President. Woo-hoo! Here is something I don't understand, the media and the American people at large are wrapped around the axle about who said what and where those family values are and have been. I, as an average tax paying American, could care less about who goes to church, who's kid is pregnant, who is Muslim, who's spouse is stronger or smarter or blah, blah, blah. I don't want to know where they "kind of" stand on the issues, I don't want rhetoric and what they should change. I want solid concrete answers on the issues at hand. I want to know who is getting us out of Iraq the fastest, who has a plan to fix wall street and the banking industry, who has a plan for holding people accountable, who is going to actually address the border control problem, who has a plan ready to go to fix the health care problem as well as the growing disparity between classes.and most importantly which one of them is going to defend the Constitution with their last breath. Because without it, we aren't America anymore.

Milestone in Sports History

Last night marked a milestone in sports history as the Yankees played their last game in the stadium that housed baseball legends such as Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. Their win against the Orioles raised the already high spirits as the last game came to a sentimental close with a speech from Derek Jeter crediting the fans for their success. This feature from the Times touches on the night's events, the stadium's history and fame, nostalgia of past Yankees, and an excitement for the future in the new Yankee's Stadium. Even if you're not a Yankee's fan, you can at least appreciate the importance of this memorable night.

Former Shortstop Becomes Coach

After two years of playing for the Hawks, Jesse Marsh is making the transition from shortstop to assistant coach for the 2009 baseball season. The Marlboro, NY native graduated high school in 2004 and spent the first two years of his college baseball career playing first base for the Falcons of Dutchess Community College. After his stint with the Falcons, Marsh transferred to New Paltz to play for the Hawks. Head baseball coach Matt Griffiths said, "Jesse came in ready to play. He filled the shortstop position and made the team better since day one."

While playing for the Hawks, Marsh batted a very solid .330 average in the lead-off spot. His senior year, the shortstop was named team captain by Coach Griffith who said, "I have always noticed Jesse's leadership quality. He is a vocal leader and all of the younger players look up to him." These qualities along with his knowledge of the program made him the perfect fit for the assistant coaching job.When asked about entering his first season as a coach, Marsh responded, "Over the summer I was very excited. Coming into the season when you’re playing you know what to expect, but this is all so new." As for his personal expectations, Coach Marsh, who holds a Bachelors degree in elementary education with a history concentration, hopes to take in as much as he can and learn from everything. He feels that playing for the Hawks will help his coaching because he now knows the ins and outs of the program. This year, Marsh gets to see things from a different angle and will be able to pinpoint what needs to be worked on in order for the team to become successful.This season, the Hawks are a very young team, which is a change from the previous year when they were ripe with upperclassmen. Coach Marsh recognized the team's youth and said, "I hope to spend a lot more time teaching then last year. Since we’re a lot younger this year, we’re going to have to go over and find out what we have at each spot."
The Hawks are currently engaged in their fall season and, so far, the team has reacted positively to Marsh as their assistant coach. Sophomore second baseman, Mike Fasolo, points out that, "Having Jesse as a coach this season after playing with him last year isn't that different. He is a great leader and I have always listened to everything he said as if he was always a coach."Even though the transition from player to coach can be a daunting one, it seems as though Coach Marsh is having no problem making the adjustment. The experience may be new and at some times challenging, but Coach Marsh said, "It is exciting [and] I'm enjoying it so far."

My Bloody Valentine Plays First U.S. Show in 10 Years

My Bloody Valentine, the original shoegaze band, played at the All Tomorrow's Parties fest in Monticello. It was their first U.S. show in 10 years, and now they will be touring until October, starting with two sold out shows in the city.

Social Exclusion Makes People Physically Cold

A study by psychologists has found that people who feel excluded often want to eat/drink something warm because they actually feel physically colder. The psychologists isolated two groups of people and had one group think about a time when they were accepted and the other think about a time when they were excluded. The excluded group on average felt that the room was about 5 degrees colder. The psychologists also tested this effect with computer games. The people were told that they were playing a computer game of catch with other people in the room. It was actually just a computer that threw the ball to some people and ignored others. The people who were ignored were more likely to want soup or coffee than those who interacted with the game.

Colleges Making SAT/ACT Optional

Junior year of High School was probably the busiest of the four.  While focusing on classes, you needed to think about college, transcripts and oh yeah, SATs.  A growing number of students are taking more and more time away from their school studies to study with tutors on how to correctly guess on the SATs.   This article from the New York Times states that popular schools such as Bates College and Wake Forest University have made the SATs and ACTs optional.  In an interview, William R. Fitzsimmons, Dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard University states that "it would be better for our country to have students focusing on high school courses that, based on evidence, will prepare them well for college and also prepare them well for the real world beyond college, instead of spending enormous amounts of time trying to game the SAT."

Plane Crash

Travis Barker, former Blink-182 drummer, and DJ AM, most known as Nicole Richie's ex-fiance, were in a plane crash on Friday. The crash killed four people including the pilot, co-pilot, and Barker's assistant. Both Barker and DJ AM were in critical condition because they suffered from severe burns. Barker and DJ AM make up TRVSDJ-AM and performed at the VMA's.

New PC commercial made by Macs... what?!

According to this article, some of the images from the commercial above advertising "I'm a PC" were actually created on Macs.

When examined, four of the images' file properties posted on Microsoft's PressPass site come from the location of "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh." These photos include author Deepak Chopra, John Hodgman (the actor who plays the 'PC" in Apple's ads), a diver by the name of "Megan," and Canadian adventurer Geoff Green.

Looks like Windows has gots some explaining to do.

For all history lovers...

I would like to advise you to get hold of the book "The New Cold War" by Edward Lucas. Book was published in February this year but as far as I am aware the new version "The New Cold War: How the Kremlin Menaces both Russia and the West" supposed to reach bookstores in UK few weeks ago.

Book telling the story of Russian politics with Europe with the special take on economics. The author, Edward Lucas is very popular British journalist, writing for "The Observer" and "an expert" in the around-baltic europes politics.

Like always its very interesting and bizzare to read British take on Russian politics.

Is High School Journalism Vanishing?

A recent article in The Nation puts the spotlight on High School Journalism...or the lack thereof. The article talks about how new technology is replacing the traditional school newspaper. We had a paper at my high school in upstate New York and I hope they're still publishing it. It is not surprising to read about the shift to new technology what with some students being lost without their iPods and cell phones. Hopefully, though, traditional Journalism will prevail and High School students won't totally lose touch with the process of creating a newspaper.

525,600 Minutes

The last performance of Rent was on September 7th. In 2005, the movie was released and soon the songs of Rent seemed to be everywhere. I remember knowing almost the whole soundtrack before I even saw the movie because my roommate freshmen year was obsessed with it. She NEVER STOPPED singing the title track. For those of you who didn't catch it, IMDB describes the story as a rock opera detailing the lives of a group of friends from NYC dealing with love, loss, and AIDS.

My friend sent me this e-mail about Palin and Obama. I found it too be funny and interesting...
My only question is when did Palin become Obama's running mate? I feel as though the media and the public have put 100% of the Republican focus on her instead of McCain.

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....


* If you grow up in Hawaii , raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."

* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.



* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow , Trig and Track, you're a maverick.



* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.



* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local sports reporter, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.




* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.





* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.




* If your wife is a Harvard graduate laywer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America 's.

* If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.


OK, much clearer now.

Liar, Liar, Palin is on Fire

I am almost sick of it myself, Sarah Palin's teeth acheingly sweet face adorning every website I visit, but it seems I never tire of a little Alaskan beauty queen bashing. Rolling Stone's website has a list of Palin's most contradicting promises so far. From her small town with small town values that harbored 42 meth labs, to that private jet she supposedly sold on ebay for a profit (HAH!), and of course the $15 million hockey rink that she paid for with the Alaskan taxpayer's money (no waste there), the list helps to clarify the myths from the facts and the reality is that that woman can lie right through her pearly whites.

Woman Snaps Picture of Sexual Harasser, Lands Him in Custody

Cell phone cameras are a wonderful invention. Especially when they help to land a scumbag harasser into police custody.

While walking up the stairs at the Dyckman Street station, a 28 year-old woman noticed a man following her and taking pictures up her skirt with his cell phone. Suddenly, she decided "since he is taking pictures of me, I am going to take pictures of him." She followed him onto a train, where she held up her cell phone camera, and told him: "smile, because I am going to the police." She sent the picture to the police, and on Tuesday, an officer recognized the man, 36 year-old Aaron Olivieri, and arrested him. He was charged with unlawful surveillance and attempted sexual abuse and harassment. Oh, sweet justice.

So ladies, have those camera phones ready. Not only is snapping a picture of a degenerate gratifying (the main point of the famous Holla Back NYC blog), but it can also lead to one less harasser on the street.

Max Bemis: From Say Anything to Sing Anything

"Max Bemis in Concert" (courtesy of Tina Lau / PR Photos)

Hey, want a song written exclusively just for you? Believe it or not, there is a way easier than finding some acoustic heartthrob on the campus of New Paltz (or abroad). Max Bemis, frontman for emo-rockers Say Anything, has opened a "Song Shop" online where, for a meager $150.00, he will compose an acoustic song based on whatever topic you write about in a paragraph. Ever wanted a song about that embarrassing incident that happened to you in high school? Now, it's totally possible!

At the present moment, the store is not open. However, the website does have a link allowing you to be emailed the instant this offer returns.

The Carnivore's Dilema?

Professor Hermes spoke in class the other day about the butchery near New Paltz that sold all grass-fed, organic meat.

I stumbled across this rather distressing article and can't imagine how the carnivore's out there feel. The idea that we are literally eating all of our livestock seems kind of absurd but it's happening. It's even getting to the stage where the tastiest and most popular breeds of chicken, beef and lamb are having their sperm and ovaries removed so we can keep on eating them in the future.

Sperm banks for our meat? What will it come to next?!

3rd Annual Organic Potato Festival

On October 4th- 5th from 11 am to 6 pm Ana Marie Organic Farms will be hosting the annual Organic Potato Festival at the County Fair Antiques on Route 82 in Millbrook . Ana Marie Farms specialize in making organic olive oil. For the past 3 years "Punched Potatoes" has been a dish to rave about at the festival. Ana Marie hailing from Portugal uses here traditional Portuguese style of cooking in both her olive oil and her potato recipes. For more on Ana Marie Organic Farms and the Potato Festival go to this website: http://www.anamarieorganicfarms.com/

Great Restaurant, Even better atmosphere!

The Egg's Nest, located on Main street on route 213 in High Falls is known not only for it's interesting and tasty menu but for it's eclectic decorations. I have eaten there several times and every time I go the inside of the restaurant has a new theme and decorations from floor to ceiling. With various vegetarian options (such as the Tempeh Reuben and Vegetarian chili) as well as other specialties like the Pesto beef roll and the #1 selling sandwich "The Thanksgiving" (thin sliced turkey breast with apple walnut stuffing and provolone cheese grilled on egg battered whole wheat bread). For more on The Egg's Nest and their menu check out their website http://www.theeggsnest.com/welcome.htm

Princeton Review Adds Enviromental Friendliness Rating

It's hard not to notice the vast range of environmental consciousness among the people I meet. There are people like my friend Janna Turadek, a Senior applied math major at Johns Hopkins University, who passionately believes that each and every one of us should take daily action, big and small, to help ameliorate our current climate crisis and has begun a group on her campus to talk about how that can be done. I also have a friend, who I won't name, that stopped recycling his cans and bottles when he moved to South Carolina because it was inconvenient. There is me, who uses a ridiculous amount of gas for my 40 minute commute to New Paltz, but always says "I don't need a bag" when I pick up something from the store, and there's my friend Kara, who chuckles at my efforts and says "I'm gonna double bag mine."

It's a spectrum; people show their environment friendliness in different ways and to varying degrees. According to an article posted in July in the New York Times, so do universities across the US. That's why The Princeton Review has begun ranking schools based on their "green rating." SUNY Binghamton was one of the highest ranks schools in the country. "When I was on campus after 1 am, the lights always dim," said Chris Harnick, a senior at SUNY Binghamton, "and a lot of the new buildings are going to be LEED certified," he added. The acronym, which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a way to rank the energy efficiency of buildings, and was developed by the US Green Building Counsel.

So, how is New Paltz doing? According to the campus website, New Paltz is involved in "many green and sustainable initiatives." And much of the current construction will make us greener. For example, the roof of Elting gym is now made of special Solar Panels that converts sunlight into solar energy. And when the renovation of Old Main is complete, it will become the first LEED certified building on campus. As far as rankings go, the Princeton Review gave New Paltz a 60, on a scale of 60-99 for environmental friendliness. However, as Julian Dautremont-Smith is quoted as saying in the NY Times article, "There is a suspicion that those lists are based on the strength of the P.R. office rather than the strength of actual efforts." Who knows, maybe our rankings will be higher next year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/education/edlife/27green.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/college-rankings.aspx
http://www.newpaltz.edu/green/greennews.html
http://bupipedream.com/current/index.php/articles/view/8339

Culture in Iraq

If you like orchestral music, give the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra a try.

I read an article about this orchestra and it's director and co-conductor, Karim Wasfi. The article also has a link to an awesome interview with him where he talks about why he keeps the orchestra going even though there are dangers in doing it. Each concert that they play could be a potential target but he knows that music and culture is important to the rehabilitation of Iraq.

It's amazing to see what music means to people and the lengths that they will go to to experience it.

I'll Take Some Fish with That Tropicana

Professor Hermes brought up the concept of putting fish oil into orange juice the other day, and how many companies are substituting it for high fructose corn syrup. I found this article which talks about the benefits of fish oil, and how many companies hope to expand it from just orange juice, to many other foods such as milk, yogurt, and tortillas. Also, the article talks about other healthy ingredients that companies are plugging into their foods, a term called nutraceuticals. Food companies are breaking down everything from powdered beets to bananas, to put into other foods to make them nutritious. It's a really interesting article, so check out the rest of it here!  

I take thee Blackberry

They don't call them crackberries for nothing!! A new study shows that 35% of Blackberry and PDA users would choose their devices over their spouse! Is this not the craziest thing you have ever heard? A study of 6,500 traveling executives was taken place by Sheraton Hotel.

This study found that 87% of people are bringing their devices into the bedroom, 84% check their e-mail right before they go to sleep, and 80% check their e-mail as soon as they wake up. People are claiming to "not being able to live without it."

Apparently this is leading relationships to go south. The study found out that people are paying more attention to their Blackberry's than having live communication with real people. This is hurting couples because of the lack of attention given to one another. This study was done over two years after Rutgers University found out that the Blackberry is the main cause in the rise of e-mail and internet addiction with addicts only being able to survive only a few minutes without checking for new mail.

Is this real? I just don't understand how a phone can take over your life. Maybe I can't talk because I don't have one, but I've done fine in life so far without one. I understand that relationships are not easy, believe me, but to have someone actually say they would choose their Blackberry over their spouse is nuts. Go figure.

Rugby Movie!!

On Friday September 26th, the movie Forever Strong will be released to theaters. Finally a movie that is featuring the sport in which I play...Rugby. The movie features rugby players ( or at least actors who play rugby players) and there struggles and dedication to the sport. Its not very often that rugby is featured in any movie so this is big and exciting. With actors such as Sean Astin, Neal McDonough and Gary Cole, based on the trailer on Internet Movie Database, it looks like it is going to be a good one. Rugby is all about its traditons, and dedication to the sport so I have a good feeling that almost anyone who plays rugby will be making the time to see this movie.

www.rugbymovie.com

As a rugby player, i know when i first started the game seemed very confusing to me. So if your hesitant to see this movie becasue you don't really know anything about the game here are a few sites that may better explain it. So get pumped...and go see this movie!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_football
http://www.ombac.org/ombac_rugby/rulesofrugby.htm

Britney & her "Circus"

Britney Spears is at it again! Making her second comeback on her twenty-seventh birthday, Spears is releasing her sixth album “Circus.” Everyone is anticipating this new album especially after the MTV Video Music Awards. At the awards, Spears picked up three awards for “Piece of Me” from her previous album “Blackout.”

Spears is sure to make this comeback come through with all the positive media that she is starting to receive. She is slowly regaining her life back especially with her two little boys.

The album’s producers include Nate “Danja” Hills and Max Martin who produced her first big hit in 1999, “Baby One More Time.” The first single of the album will be released Monday September 22 called, “Womanizer.” This new album could entail Britney to put the “circus” in her life to the side and step back into the limelight again.

Tragedy Can Happen to Celebrities too

I woke up today to some frightening news: Travis Barker and DJ AM were critically injured in a plane crash after their concert in Columbia, South Carolina on Friday night.  Although I'm not big fans of either (except for Barker's "Meet the Barkers" which was reality TV at its worst, which also made it so addicting) it's still sad to see tragedy happen to musicians coming or leaving shows.  

The two were performing together as TRVSDJ-AM at a free concert for college kids in the streets of Five Points, which is a neighborhood close to the University of South Carolina.  After takeoff, air traffic controllers noticed sparks coming from their plane and then watched as it quickly veered off the runway hitting antennas and a fence and then engulfed into flames.  Four were killed including the pilot and co-pilot, but Barker and DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) remain in critical condition in a burn unit in Augusta, Georgia.

It's sad to think of all the musicians we've lost, hopefully these two will pull through.  

Thanks to StarMagazine.com for photo

AMC's Mad Men series stars SUNY New Paltz Grad

When I first watched Mad Men on AMC, I thought it was another well produced show with a lot of potential for awards and praise . Then I went into my broadcast and cable history class and we watched an episode and I found out that Michael Gladis, a graduate of SUNY New Paltz in 1999, actually is one of the main actors in the show. He plays Paul Kinsey, a copywriter who is trying to climb his way to the top in an advertisement agency set in the 1960's in New York City. Gladis was a Theatre Arts major and also acted in many shows on campus.

The series is based on an advertisement agency in New York that follows the cut throat lives of the business men and woman who live to make a name for themselves through the art of the sell. The series has already received two Golden Globe Awards for best drama due to last year's great season and this year it has been nominated for 16 Emmys. So as you can all see by the many nominations, this is no mediocre show that is never to be looked at again but a show that has the chance of being recognized as one of the best shows on cable TV. The show airs every Sunday on AMC at 10 p.m. and you will definitely be watching an actor on television that was once walking the same campus as you.

(photo credited to Linda Schupack,senior Vice Pres. of marketing, AMC and www.amc.com/mad-men)

Economic Crisis Not so Bad for Obama Campaign

Undoubtedly, our country is currently facing one of the worst economic crises it has seen since the Great Depression. However, according to this article written for usnews.com, this is not such a bad thing for the Obama campaign and those trying to get him elected into office. Because of the poor condition of the economy, as a result of certain policies followed by the Bush administration, many believe it could be enough to defeat McCain in the upcoming election. According to the article, polls are indicating that Obama is now leading McCain 47 to 44 percent, and that McCain's surge of support since selecting his vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, has faded. Experts believe that many voters are now hesitant to to support McCain, fearing that he will not be able to handle the poor condition of the economy. In the article, former president Bill Clinton states, "What typically happens in these elections—if you look throughout American history—when the country's in a fix and you know where we're going is not sustainable, then there is typically a "breakthrough" for the opposition party."

Microsoft Pulls Seinfeld-Gates Ad Campaign

"Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates, Testing the Strength of an Oddball Ad Campaign" (image courtesy of Gizmodo.com)

My heart was broken this week. Not in the romantic sense or in the physical sense, but in the "I Watch Too Much TV" sense. Reported on CNN.com, Microsoft announced the swift cancellation of a $300 million ad campaign that featured chairman Bill Gates alongside comedian Jerry Seinfeld. The quirky commercials, which portrayed the two millionaires trying to connect with the general population in shoe stores and suburban homes, were widely panned as "a whole lot of nothing." There were even calls that this campaign made Seinfeld's earlier (and nuttier) work with American Express seem logical. Only two commercials made it to television.

Honestly? I'm upset by this. I mean, where else am I going to see Bill Gates doing THE ROBOT?

Full commericals below:

A New Car Accessory!! (But it's Not too Safe)

           Imagine this: You've been stuck in traffic for what seems like years, and all you really want is something hot to eat, but there is no way you are getting off the highway at this point, especially since it will take forever to get back on. The grumbling in your stomach is starting to over power the radio...if only, you think, there was a way to cook up some hot food in your car....

Well, thanks to a United Kingdom based electronics company, called Maplin, that's now possible. The company has recently put on the market a microwave that simply plugs into your car cigarette lighter, making it possible to make that Easy Mac or microwave dinner you long for while cruising down the road. This makes the thought of cell phones being distracting seem laughable.

Vice Travel's

Vice is a NYC based free magazine which concentrates on youth culture and the independent scene. It's wikipedia entry states that it is "Known for its controversial content,(and) it often strikes a sardonic and ironic pose on debauchery, sex, drugs, violence, and social issues involving race and economic class." Right on. Searching on their site I found a series covering the genocide, mass displacement, poverty, exploitation and generally every other bad adjective you can think of, happening in Sudan. I found this series significant because it brought home the effort and risk involved in pursuing important stories. It was enlightening to see a less known magazine (although still pretty prominent) which focuses mainly on youth/fashion culture and music investigating a world event throughly. Being pretty (see: extensively) naive to the whole Sudanese/Darfur plight, this report was a solid beginning into finding out more about a subject which is elusively reported in mainstream media. To end on a positive note if you end up watching the 5 part series (and I implore you do,) on the same site I found this humorous video. Drunk people telling history lessons, starring the incomparable Jack Black.

Congratulations Bill Gates

Photo - AFP Images

We can all breathe a sigh of relief now that Bill Gates is back on top as Forbes Richest Man. That year at Number Two must have been a real blow for Gates. And I guess our condolences should go to former Number One, Warren Buffett, who was de-throned thanks to a 15% loss in shares. Poor guy, he's down to $50 Billion.

Mark Zuckerberg, the 24 year old behind Facebook made it in, earning an annual salary of $1.5 Billion...if only I'd thought of Facebook!

giving a new meaning to girl talk

I'm no good at witty puns or anything (as one could probably tell from the title of this), but I decided to give it a try.

Girl talk is the slang term that consists of gossip-y chatter between girls, pertaining to topics involving boys, school happenings... mainly boys. Although according to good ole Wikipedia, Girl Talk also is a board game, a British female duo of the '80s, and a series of children's books. But more importantly, Girl Talk is a DJ, that's kinda been all the rage, lately (I guess not so much lately, but as of this day and age). Gregg Gillis (Girl Talk's real name) specializes in mash-up style remixes, or he takes snippets from tons of songs (from bands/artists) and combines them to form a song that is fit for the ultimate dance party.  The artists range from Beyonce, Wu-Tang Clan, Cheap Trick, etc.  With his latest album, Feed the Animals being released this past summer, Gillis' fanbase has grown tremendously.

photo taken from Coolhunting.com

Girl Talk is playing at Terminal 5 down in the city, with the first two dates being sold out already. A third and final additional show was added and you can buy tickets here. So go, have a good time and dance your pants off! I'm serious.