Paris Hilton: A Two-Timer

Paris Hilton says that she never wears clothing more than once, she auctions it off and gives the proceeds to charities. Well, she's been seen in a dress more than once apparently.

This drives me crazy. Just because a celebrity has the money to buy new clothes every day of their life, does that mean that they should? No. Why not donate all the extra cash to charity instead of being all high and mighty and arrogant about it. I mean, really, it's necessary to do act this way? I really think that celebrities these days really push the limits and do some crazy things. She has done nothing for the money that she has and there are so many people out there that suffer every day but they work their hands to the bone. It's not really fair at all. I don't know, things like this just really get on my nerves because it's completely absurd and ridiculous and I wish that the world was a more equal and fair place.

How Much Could Snot Be Worth?

As I was watching my usual late night TV, channel surfing, I came across ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno. Normally I happen to be a David Letterman fan but I saw that Scarlet Johansson was one of the guests; I paused for a moment to watch. She seemed to be suffering from a really bad head cold that she received from Samuel L. Jackson. During the interview, Johansson decided to blow her nose and bag up her tissue filled with snot, sign the bag and then auction it off for the USA Harvest charity. I realize that it’s all for a good cause but, shouldn’t there be a line somewhere? Are fans really that crazed now-a-days that they would buy snot? I’m not going to lie, this is gross. It’s really great that Johansson is coming up with a way to give to charity but, there are cleaner ways of doing so. Why not auction off the shoes she was wearing or her earrings? Something that is not disease infested. I happen to think that when you are able to donate money to a charity or to anyone less fortunate than yourself, you should do so without the possibility of making them sick in the process. Plus, I can’t imagine that snot would auction off for a whole lot.

McCready Has More Troubles

Country Singer Mindy McCready tried to commit suicide on Wednesday. She’s been in and out of jail several times and had many drug problems over the years. She’s had several suicide attempts also. Something tells me this woman really needs someone to get her help, since she’s obviously not going to do it herself. I don’t mean to be insensitive to the suicide subject, she’s really messed up apparently, but seriously, she’s going to actually kill herself before anybody actually does anything for her. I realize that she has to want to fix herself before it can actually be done, but she’s obviously too messed up to care what happens to herself or anything of that nature. All of the things that she’s been through are serious issues and it would be great to see at least one person get it taken of and she could be a role model for others.

Mercury Poisoning for Piven

The Entourage actor Jeremy Piven is pulling out of the Broadway play “Speed-the-Plow” due to mercury poisoning. The playwright, David Mamet seemed disdainful towards Piven because of the change in actors. Mamet was quoted as saying, “So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer." It’s unknown how serious the poisoning is, but William H. Macy and Norbert Leo Butz will be taking over the position for Piven.

It’s really kind of not fair to blame Piven for backing out of his contractual agreement to be in the play, it’s not really his fault. I’m sure if he was given the choice he wouldn’t have gotten mercury poisoning and he would rather take on the role that he had in the play. You don’t hear a lot of cases of mercury poisoning these days though so I have to wonder how it happened. I’m sure that it’ll turn out fine for him though and he’ll be back on his feet and back in his role for Entourage in no time.

Kanye "The Robot" West

So the man with the Iron Jaw is back. Kanye West is out to show the world that not only is he a rapper, but the man can flat out sing, sort of. 808's and Heartbreaks shows a kind of side that no one has ever seen, his inner robot. Every track on the album is tuned to perfection with a very electronica sounding West. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy west and have all the way from The College Dropout. I even enjoy this album, but my question is how does he perform this live and be taken seriously? I am very much a fan of West, but not of constant voice alteration and pitch correction. Just let the soul flow.

Thank you to Spatemag.com for the image.

Frost Nixon Looks to Make a Splash

Open in select theatres as we speak, Frost Nixon will be released nation wide December 25th. Taking us back through time to make us take a look back at the time when Frost made a career of making Nixon look like an ass! Oh Watergate! The movie is getting rave reviews from all and has been nominated for five Golden Globes. Perhaps this is a precursor to what we will see at the Oscars. I can't believe to this day that Ron Howard has made such an amazing transformation from Happy Days into one of the best directors of our time. Who would have thought it?

Oh Kevin Cogill

I know that we all waited a really, really, really long time for the new (and somewhat disappointing) GNR album, but Kevin Cogill just couldn't wait. You see Mr. Cogill will go down in history as the blogger who released nine of the 15 tracks off of the Chinese Democracy track line up. What a shame that this blogger just couldn't keep the tracks on his IPOD or in his hard drive. Cogill plead guilty in a Los Angeles court after pleading not guilty in his first court appearance. In my opinion it really doesn't matter anyway because no one could stop the flop that was Axl's return to the Billboard Album Charts. A dismal 250,000 copies the first week. EEEKKK!!! And to think he wasted almost $15 million.

On Sunday, President Bush held his final press conference in Iraq before he is escorted out of office in January. During the press conference, and Arab journalist took off both his shoes and chucked them one at a time at the President's head (aren't journalists supposed to write the news, not make the news?). Bush ducked, Matrix style, and narrowly missed both times being hit in the head with the shoes. The journalist apparently screamed "This is a farewell kiss, dog" at the President as he was tackled by security. The whole incident was caught on video (for our entertainment) and I was able to easily find it one YouTube. Question is, will this be the last of unconventional farewells for our beloved (sarcasm) president? Apparently George Bush reported, jokinly, that the man's shoes were a size ten. Check out more on the New York Times.

Subway Art

Artists and twins Doug and Mike Starn have been working on their latest work at the South Ferry station and will be opened to the public in January. "See It Split, See It Change" is a creative piece that features, "curved floor-to-ceiling glass walls laced with silhouettes of trees, a marble mosaic of a vintage topographic map of Manhattan, and other imagery drawn from nearby Battery Park." Their goal was to make the last stop on the Number 1 train a little more welcoming. They artists are sponsored by The Arts of Transit program of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Starn's are very excited about their work and look forward to it being there forever, untouched by man.

Bedouin Soundclash

At my retail summer job in the mall, we're allowed to play our own music as long as its "customer friendly." Mostly people put on their IPod's and just let random songs play. However, one day my manager John put on a CD of this band he's been raving about. When I first heard the reggae pop chilled out beats I assumed it was 311 and asked John if that's who it was. He immediately rolled his eyes and was angry that I even compared them to 311. He played the whole cd through and I absolutely loved it (being a huge fan of reggae and bands like 311 and Sublime). When I asked him the name of the band he told me and I honestly didn't know what he said and asked him to repeat it a couple of times and write it down for me. Bedouin Soundclash; what a powerful name, I thought to myself. The name hails from Israeli fusion artist and producer Badawi’s release in 1996, which pays homage to nomadic Arabic poet tribe called the Bedouins. The three Canadian guys in their early 20's first formed the group in 2001 and have since been a hit in Canada. There song 12:59 Lullaby was ( to my disgust) featured on an episode of Grey's Anatomy. There new album Street Gospels will hopefully gain some notoriety in America so they will expand their Canadian-only tour to America so I can see them live! I can't really explain how much I love this band in just this blog, but it's rare for me to like new music ( I'm a huge classic rock fan) so this to me means a lot. Check them out for yourself: http://www.rhapsody.com/bedouin-soundclash-2

SNL Skit about Blind NY Gov. Paterson

It's argued that it wasn't nice, and it's argued that it was humorous. I'll remain neutral but I will say this ... One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Brown Baggin' It

In a New Yorker article written by Lauren Collins, she describes the rise of shoppers using brown recyclable bags rather than flashy name brand shopping bags (such as the well known turquoise Tiffany's bag). This is partly because of the recent rise in "going green" and brown bags are as mentioned recyclable, and in addition, plastic bags are extremely bad for the environment, and we use way too many of them, in my opinion. Collins feels that this is due partly to the economy crash. She mentions that the wealthy don't exactly feel guilty about parading around with their Gucci and Prada shopping bags with overly priced cargo, but being wealthy isn't exactly as "popular" as it once was. Exploiting the fact that you have money during these times is fair game for snarls and a good deal of eye rolling. To read more about the brown bag craze go here: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/12/22/081222ta_talk_collins

How Ironic

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- An American anti-kidnapping consultant was kidnapped in Mexico, according to the Houston-based security firm he works for.

Felix Batista was abducted outside a restaurant December 10 in Saltillo, the capital of Mexico's Coahuila state, the firm said.

The former U.S. military officer is a contract consultant for ASI Global LLC and was in Mexico "on personal business," ASI Global President Charlie LeBlanc told CNN.

He said the FBI is investigating the incident along with Mexican authorities.

Kidnappings and violence reached record levels in Mexico this year.

Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said this month that organized-crime killings soared to 5,376 in 2008, more than double the 2,477 deaths in Mexico in 2007.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon met over the summer with the country's 32 governors to unveil a plan to combat the nation's staggering rise in kidnappings.

The plan includes building special prisons for kidnappers, bolstering the justice system, cleaning up corrupt police forces and clamping down on kidnapping tools such as prepaid cell phones and money-laundering.

Are You Nice If You Yawn?

As we all know, yawning is contagious but what we may not have known (until now) is that yawning during a conversation may mean so much more than a reaction to someone else's yawn or boredom, it could mean that you are able to "understand and connect" to someone's emotional state. Recent studies shows that the action is linked to empathy, so when you're yawning in the middle of someone's speech, let him or her know it's a good thing. To be able to back up this argument or cover up your boredom, read this.

New York Music Festival Promotes Homegrown Artists

There's a new kind of music festival in town. For the first time on December 12, The New York Eye and Ear Festival was held at Vanishing Point in Bushwick. Creator Todd Brooks (who is also an artist and head of Brooklyn's Pendu Organization) decided it was time to support local bands, get the word out and help them get signed by record labels. Brooks hopes to continue to have these festivals every six months, one in the winter and in the summer and at each new festival, there will hopefully be a celebration of a band being signed.

Just a little promotion...

I really wanted to let everyone know about my friend Jason Carpino's upcoming art show. It's a little bit of a drive and an adventure from New Paltz, but the show is in Port Jervis and is entitled "The End." I did my arts piece on Jason and his work is amazing and the artists he brings in are great too. Check out his MySpace page and check out his tattoo art and some of his photography. If you know anyone who likes alternative art and beautiful photography, let them know about this show. It's tomorrow night, December 13th at 6pm, check it out, it will definitely be worth the hour drive.

Psychopaths being evaluated in Correctional Facilities

I chose to post this article because, first off the title " Suffering Souls : the search for the roots of psychopathy", and second because of its detailed, very descriptive and visually stimulating lead. It starts off by describing the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility. Through out the entire piece he is constantly using very specific details which, after the entire semester of feature writing, i have learned really helps to enhance a story. I found the descriptions particularly helpful in this story because it was taking place at a correctional facility, somewhere i have never been, but yet got kind of interested in reading about as i read further. He described a scene of a conference room where confiscated items from inmates were displayed, and immediately i could only imagine seeing some of the kinds of weapons that were found or created within the jail. I also found his background and historic information to be clear enough for me to understand. He goes into detail about lots of things involving psychology and he does his best to describe in terms that the readers would understand. I thought this feature story was well written, and interesting.

Article.

And the best recordings of 2008 are....

Well respected writer of the New Yorker Sasha Frere-Jones just released his short piece titled
" The Best Recordings of 2008, " and the list is far from anything you would have expected. He starts of by announcing how happy he is that Busta Rhymes has finally fell into a category of his liking. Unpleased by how he started, his song "Dont Touch Me" has entered the level of respect as far as recording, according to Jones.
Others that appeared on the list were The Raveonettes “Aly, Walk With Me”, John Legend “Green Light” f/Andre 3000 (Afroganic remix), and even Jessica Simpson's song " Remember That". He points out her change in brand of music and acknowledges the job well done ( lucky for her).
I enjoy how Jones did not limit his picks to any one genre or pick bands that maybe most people wouldnt know. He put the thought into his picks and did a good job at explaining the sounds of the music that he liked most to explain better why they made it onto his list.

Link to the List.( article)

Books, Drama, and Economy

Everyone imagined drama and gossip to be over after middle school or high school, but women today are having drama over book clubs! The New York Times had an article on December 5, about the craziness of book clubs today. Ann Kent the founder of Book Group Expo said that books groups are rapidly growing, especially now since the economy. Women and men are now  looking for forms of entertainment that are affordable. But the drama now spills over which authors to read about, which genre to read about, and the fight to even talk about books over their own personal lives. It is key to find a book club that fits your personality the best. But for some of these women, they just need to stop complaining about their personal lives and other women need to learn that they are not always going to read what they want to or prefer.

Knights and Whos

The release of The Dark Knight and Horton Hears a Who came out on DVD yesterday. The Dark Knight was released in theaters July 18 and set a record of $18.5 million. With great performances by Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, this movie has set the bar high for the next action packed film.

Everyone remembers Jim Carrey as the Grinch but now he is the voice of the elephant that hears the voices of Whoville in a speck of dust. This version of a Dr. Seuss classic is digitally animated by the same producers of Ice Age. This is another great film for the family especially around the holidays!

No Chance

For first two years of my college career The Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York has been a great venue to catch very talented alternative rock bands such as Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship, Jack's Mannequin, and one of my all time favorites and the best concert I have ever seen Third Eye Blind. However this year has been a disappointment to me. The Chance's stage went from being graced with the likes of Andrew McMahon and Stephen Jenkins to cover bands and bands that might how been success full in the eightes, but have long over stayed their welcome. Even though I almost lost hope completely when I saw that dirtbag rap/rockers Shawyze, who writes each one of their songs about smoking weed and getting girls, were playing a show, but I still held up hope that someday soon a good show would be posted. Then the final nail was driven into the coffin. On December 15th Metrostation, possibly one of the least talented bands out there today is coming straight out of the pages of tiger beat to play to what I can only believe a crowd of screaming 12 year old girls all giddy at the fact that the band's lead singer is America's sweetheart Miley Cyrus' brother. Hopefully The Chance will someone resurrect it's reputation and one day be the host to a decent show, but going by their current schedule of shows I wouldn't put any money on it.

Ludacris Drops New Album

Ludacris, Rapper/Actor, has dropped a new album, Theatre of the Mind, and this album steers away from his past productions with him taking full control of production. The album features many artists and includes one track, MVP, that is produced by DJ Premier which is amazing where Luda flows perfectly on Premiers unique beat. Ludacris has been busy filming Max Payne with Mark Wahlberg in previous months but has found some time to bang out a another classic album with all the trimmings. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think.

Crime

Whether it's good or bad I usually don't pay attention to the crime stories which typically appear on newspapers like the New York Post. Although I wouldn't go as far as exploitation, I find that stories which fill there front page with sensational crime stories are insensitive, and draw to many conclusions from to little facts. None the less, I couldn't help but notice a story about the disappearance of Laura Garza, a girl from Manhattan, by ways of Texas. Although not charged with anything other then patrol violation, the focus has been on Newburgh resident Michael Mele. This case caught my eye not only because Newburgh is where I live, but I used to see him in school all the time and know many people who knew him well. As the details and facts from this case unfold, it's a scary thought to think that you went to school with a killer. Frankly, I don't have to much to say about this case. I hope shes found safe and if not I hope who ever harmed her is caught and punished. Reading about his sex offender past, it just goes to show that even those you might not look like they seem aggresive or strange can be different people, and to be weary when you go out to have a good time. It's also particularly sad that Newburgh has been getting such bad press lately, since I know a lot of good people from there, and cases like these that are some of the most despicable things to read about.

CNN's "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines"

At the end of my last post I said I was anxious for CNN's "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines," which premiers this Thursday at 9:00 p.m.  So, I figure I'd blog about it and hopefully encourage others to tune in.  'Battle Lines' is a squeal to last year's series, which reported on global warming, overpopulation, and habitat and species loss.

Dubbed a 'worldwide investigation', CNN revisits these issues, exploring the conflicts between humans and the environment. Anderson Cooper and CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will team up with Lisa Ling, a special correspondent for the National Geographic Channel.  

Featured in the documentary will be a report on the poaching of elephants in Chad and Sudan by rebels involved in the conflict in Darfur, among other things.  

Make a Difference while Holiday Shopping

Photo from http://jamestravels.com/uploaded_images/IMG_9031-773316.jpg

Holiday shopping can be tough, but most of us have never gone through the hardships that the Acholi tribe has been through in Africa. By purchasing jewelry that these women have made you can help support them. The website has a lot of information about this wonderful idea, here's a bit, "Acholi Beads are made by a group of women living in the Acholi Quarters slum, who were forced to work long hours breaking rocks in a stone quarry for $1 per day to support their families. Now, through the income they earn making Acholi Beads, these women are rebuilding their lives." The website has pictures of the bracelets, necklaces, and earrings that are made. The jewelry isn't just beautiful but also handmade from recycled paper. This business is being called a Socially Proactive Business and it would be great if it would become more popular, especially in the United States.

The site makes a good point:
When you give Acholi beads, your gifts make people smile on two continents.

Wanna make some money!?

Photo from Google Images

I found this really interesting and bizarre article title on CNN.Com called Unusual -- and legal -- ways to make money. When I first saw it I had no idea what sort of things a person could do that was strange and make money. The first person featured was a woman from Phoenix, Arizona who wasn't doing too well economically and needed money to buy her kids Christmas presents. Some friends advised her to sell her hair on a website, it worked out well for her, she got $1,200 for selling 27 inches of her hair.
Other people in this article participated in medical trials or sold their gold jewelry at a gold party, to find out more read here.

Blink 182 - will there really ever be a reunion?

Photo Courtesy from Google Images

This may not be of interest to many, but the fact is that Blink 182 is one of the most famous pop-punk bands with three very talented musicians. They had a messy split in 2005 and have all stayed within the music scene - Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus play in +44 while Tom Delonge is in Angels and Airwaves. However, once they had their "indefinite hiatus" there was barely any communication between the three of them except for Travis and Mark. Finally in late 2008 they all began talking again after Travis' plane crash and the death of their Blink 182 producer.

Many of their fans are very excited because they are in contact once again, but unfortunately that doesn't mean that they will reunite. This article is about them talking again but I have found many blogs and other sites that state that the actual guys have denied a reunion...

All blink fans just keep your fingers crossed ... anything can happen ...

SIGN-A-RAMA

* picture of the store used from http://www.sarorlando.com/web-content/images/Sign-A-Rama-STOREFRONTWEB.gif

For my local economy piece I have decided to do a profile on sign and t-shirt screening store Sign-A-Rama/Hudson Valley Impressions in New Paltz. I chose this store because I found out that the owner is a young, late twenties early thirties, and started the business with her husband in their basement and know they own three stores. I want to see how there company is being affected by the current recession and try to see what their connection is with the college. I am currently unsure what the story is but I look forward in discovering it.

The Muddy Cup - local business

Photo Courtesy from Muddycup.com

For my local business article I have decided to write about The Muddy Cup. It is a popular place located on Main Street and I would like to write about its history and what makes it so different from other coffee shops.

OJ Simpson Goes To Jail

In the month of October, I had posted a blog about the 12 charges of armed robbery that OJ Simpson was facing and the risk of him actually going to jail. Well, last week he was sentenced to a maximum of 33 years in jail with the possibility of parole after nine.
Prosecutors alleged that Simpson led a group of men who used threats, guns and force to take sports memorabilia from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley. Simpson claimed that he was attempting to recover items that belonged to him.
Even though, it is somewhat unfortunate for him to go jail for such a long time, I honestly believe he deserves to go to jail whether it was for the armed robbery charges or the murder charges from 1995.

Book Groups Generate More Dissatisfaction Than Discussion

I've never been in a book group, and from the looks of this article I don't think I want to. We all may know someone who has been in a book group and has been dissatisfied with it for one reason or another. I personally know my mother has joined and quit a number of discussion groups for many different reasons: disagreement over book choice, personality conflicts and lack of commitment from group members. I kind of always thought it was just my mom, but apparently nationwide people have found becoming a member of a book group unsatisfactory.  This article published in todays Times talks about some extreme cases of such, even groups that went so far as to demand that it members make elaborate tea spreads or ban political discussion.

Newburgh Police look for Murder Suspect

The City of Newburgh Police are searching for the last of three murder suspects dating back to a homicide that occurred on November 16, 2008. David M. DeLaine is wanted for a robbery that ultimately led to the stabbing and killing of a 31 year old man. DeLaine is only seventeen years old and the other two assailants are 15 and16 years old and now they are facing second degree murder. This is happeneing more and more with the youth in crime ridden areas and there has to be more control and responsibility held against those who commit these crimes. DeLaine is still on the run and the City of Newburgh Police are looking for him. To find out more about this incident click on this link.

Teasing, A Problem? On The Contrary.

In a world where teasing has become a close to outlawed as possible in schools, when does it get to be enough?  An article by Dacher Keltner of The New York Times, this may be more harmful to kids than good.

Humans, as a society, are playful.  When we are babies, our parents play peek-a-boo, and when we are little, we tease the ones we like.  With teasing becoming the new bullying, it is difficult to establish a clear line of where the problem lies.  

Coldplay Being Sued

Coldplay is being sued by a 52 year old guitarist. The guitarist, Joe Satriani, is saying that Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" instrumental is plagarized from Satriani's "If I Could Fly." Satriani is hoping to receive damages and any and all profits from the copyright infringement, if the jury finds there to be one. I mean I don't really like Coldplay so I don't care if they get sued, but it would be nice if they didn't plagarize, considering they did get seven Grammy nominations. You can hear both songs here and get more info to decide for yourself whether or not Coldplay plagarized.

Madonna Making Records

After Madonnas Sticky & Sweet Tour concludes its run in Brazil later this month, the eternal Material Girl is predicted to be setting records for the bringing in the most money for both a female artist and a solo artist.

After wrapping both the European and American legs of her tour, Madonna's already raked in $207.5 million in ticket sales alone. In the end she is poised to gross 282 million!!

In her American shows she has sold 550,000 tickets over the course of 28 shows.

Its crazy that after all these years she is still at the top of her game. Madonna is one of those icons that will never fail to amaze her fans! Seeing her live in concert is an experience any girl should do.

Tina Fey on a Glossy Spread

Since we have been working on profiles, I found a great one on Tina Fey by Maureen Dowd. It's in the January issue of Vanity fair if you want to pick one up or check it out online.
First of all, Tina looks great in her photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz, but I guess that's kind of the thing about being photographed by Annie Leibovitz-you're gonna look great. I feel that only recently Tina has let out her sexy side and I commend her for that! This profile gives real insight into Tina's life as a mother and as a wife rather than just that SNL Weekend Update reporter and Sarah Palin look-alike. The writer turned her into a real person that I felt like I could relate to by shedding the glitz and glamour that goes along with show-biz. I like that. no bull.

Giving Teasing a New Name

I opened my sunday Times this morning to find an interesting article. Dacher Kelter,  a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkley has undertaken a new study of what it means to tease.  He argues that teasing is a good thing, and is too often confused with bullying.  He examines the way people tease one another and criticizes the initiatives that many schools, companies, and institutions have taken to create "tease free zones." Kelter sees teasing as a important part of human interaction. I found this article really interesting, having been through a number of job training seminars which included clauses on teasing (especially in relation to sexual harassment) and many of the questions and problems that Kelter brought up seemed to ring true. 

Obama Speechwriter Gets in Trouble Over Facebook Photos

Obama's main speechwriter, Jon Favreau, got in big trouble over some photos of him posted on Facebook. The pictures showed him at a party, dancing with a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton, among other things:



That's Favreau with his hand on Hillary's chest, while his friend feeds her beer and kisses her on the cheek. The photos were only up for a couple hours before Favreau took them down, but that was more than enough time for them to be spread all over the internet. I'm really disappointed by this display of sexism and disrespect.

(Photo from CNN.com)

New Paltz Knit Shop

New Paltz a town home to many  niche shops has just become home to one more. Knit and Be Happy is  knit shop specializing in natural wools and knitting supplies. The shop, located on the corner of N. Front and Church Streets is owned and run by dedicated knitter A small place the owners have done great job renovating and redecorating the former vintage clothing shop. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, offering help in choosing wools and and even classes on a range of subjects for a range of skill levels. The knitting store prides it self as being a place where knitters can come for technical and even sometimes emotional support. With large comfy chairs and couches the owner encourage people to stop by and knit, and share in some converstation. The shop is open weekdays 11pm to 5pm and weekends 11pm to 6pm.

Cadillac Records

Always an enormous fan of soul and motown music I was a bit apprehensive about the upcoming "Cadillac Records." Director Darnell Martin makes some questionable casting choices such as placing Beyonce Knowles in the role of powerful songstress Etta James and Rapper Mos Def as the iconic Chuck Berry. However, New  York Times films critic A.O. Scott calls the film a " rollicking and insightful celebration of Chicago Blues" and praises Jeffery Wright's portrayal of Muddy waters as a honest and faithful representation of the blues guitarist. The film follows the life of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) and the artists who recorded for him. Opening on Friday Dec. 5th, one can only hope that the sweeping biopic lives up to the colorful spirit of it's subject matter. 

Scream Bloody Murder

Last night I tuned into CNN to watch "Scream Bloody Murder," a two-hour documentary reported by the network's senior international correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Chronicling the stories of six crusaders, each fighting for justice amidst neglected genocide, the documentary was dramatic, incredibly well produced and educational, and also deeply saddening.

The topic of genocide is as important as ever, as this month marks the 60th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the treaty adopted by the United Nations making genocide an international crime).

Amanpour set the stage by telling the story of Raphael Lemkin. A Polish Jew whose family died in the Holocaust, Lemkin literally invented the word genocide. He spent his entire life fighting for the innocent, and lobbied the UN until it unanimously adopted the Genocide Convention in 1948.

Amanpour and her team went about telling the stories of five other men who courageously spoke out, but were ultimately unsuccessful in trying to stem the tide of mass murder and getting foreign governments to care about it.

They went to Cambodia to interview a French priest who witnessed the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge. They went to Washington to talk to a Congressional staffer, whose sanctions bill against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who used chemical weapons against the Kurds, was defeated by the House and supported by the Reagan administration. They traveled to Sarajevo and walked the streets with a former diplomat and magazine editor, who put pressure on the Clinton administration to act in Bosnia as Muslins were being killed by Bosnia Serb forces. They sat down with the head of the UN's peacekeeping force in Rwanda who was left helpless as the Hutu government slaughtered the Tutsis. Lastly, they discussed the genocide in Darfur with the former top UN official in Sudan, who wished the international community would have taken earlier steps to prevent the murdering of ethnic Africans by the Arab government and government-backed militias.

I tremendously enjoy these CNN specials and look forward to watching "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines," the network's sequel to last year's series, which will air on Thursday, Dec. 11.

Yea for Jamey Johnson!

The Grammy Nominations are in and my man Jamey Johnson is up for Best Country Song, Best Country Album, and Best Male Vocal Performance. I'm so excited to see this. He's an amazing musician who is finally getting the recognition he deserves. No longer is he in the background, but he's writing his music and putting out amazing vocal performances. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are also up for a few awards including Record and Album of the Year. One can only hope that Country can make a major impact on this years show (without only Taylor Swift). The winners will be revealed on The 51st Annual Grammy Awards telecast, Feb. 9, on CBS-TV.

Where's the Beef?

Ahh, Cable Television news. CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews. I personally haven't seen network news for a long time. The time just isn't good for me. None the less, when I am watching cable news, I get this over whelming feeling i'm missing something in the world. That's where videos like this play a role. Realnews.com is a donation driven news source which covers issues and analysis not typically shown in mainstream media. This specific video talks about a Canadian Youth Movement and their activism dealing with environmental issues. The sites use of video, its non-corporate funding, and focus on issues not typically given much headway in the mainstream make sites like these valuable. Furthermore as a Journalism student, we have an obligation to dig deeper then most to find the truth and expose issues. I know that at any given time, its a good bet that any one of the above mentioned cable news networks are covering the same stories, no matter the political slant. So give this a watch and check out the site.

Good Morning America: Britney Spears

On December 2nd, I was lucky enough to head down to NYC to catch the highly anticipated "comeback" performance of Britney Spears live on Good Morning America at the Big Apple Circus in Lincoln Center (major thanks to my Dad for scoring these hard to get tickets). With her entire family (her boys are so beautiful!) front row to watch her take the stage on her 27th birthday, Britney had all eyes on her in the center of the ring, just like a circus, just like she expresses in the song, as thunderous chants of "Britney, Britney..." overtook  the cramped circus arena (her album is titled "Circus"). Spears mimed her usual way through "Circus" and her current single "Womanizer". Her dance routine did not make up for the lip-synching as it would have in the past. Don't get me wrong, she can put on a show, but there was something missing, she seemed to be just going through the motion, something I was definitely not expecting from the "queen of pop." I don't know if anybody caught "For the Record" on MTV, but her long-time choreographer, Andre Fuentes, proclaimed that he sees "the fire" in her eyes has returned, several moments before this remembrance Britney broke down on screen informing us that she's "sad" and that there's "no excitement, no passion." I just didn't see that fire Tuesday that I was hoping for, and with a world tour approaching this March, it leaves me to wonder if Ms. Spears is rushing back in to the spotlight she once exclusively owned very too soon. Larry Rudolph, Britney's manager doesn't seem to think so, as he explained to Access Hollywood, “She’s in full control, nobody is telling her what to do. If at any moment she said, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ That’s what would happen.” We'll have to wait and see what happens.

Movies For Christmas

Last year around this time, one of my best friends, Stephanie, and I decided that we would make it an annual thing for us to spend Christmas eve together. Our plans for the day include meeting up in New York City, taking a walk around downtown, catching a sappy movie, and finally grabbing a bite to eat.
In 2007, we watched "P.S. I Love You" a movie featuring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler about a women in love but who has to deal with the death of her partner. A real tearjerker, that film. Anywho, we've been looking out for the latest "love films"this year and the choices don't seem so great but I'm going to vote for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" starring Brad Pitt. Not only does this movie feature that hottie but it seems really interesting, something like no other, ya know? We'll see how Steph feels about that.
We decided it would be a good idea for us to sepnd this day together because usually our families are getting ready for the following BIG DAY. Steph ... she knocks out her christmas duties early in the day Xmas eve, but for me ... I don't usually help because I'm not anything close to a cook, I'm more of an annoying "sneak, grab, and run, taster" in the kitchen. Plus, while the women in my family and most of my friends snuggle up next to their significant others, Steph is willing to ditch her boyfriend for a day and hang out with her lame, single friend.

Significance of this blog??

There isn't much to this blog other than a little confusing and wordy look into my holiday. But here's a list of all the movies coming out over the course of winter break. Enjoy!

100 Greatest Movie Characters

This week Empire released the results from their poll of who the 100 greatest movie characters were and number one was Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden from Fight Club. Rounding out the top five was Darth Vader, The Joker (via Heath, not Jack), Han Solo and Dr. Hannibal Lector. I have to admit that 5-2 did not surprise me but Tyler Durden was not expected. I'm mean, yes, the man had amazing abs and is a sexy dude but he would stand no chance against any of the other characters in the top five. The Joker would make him go insane while Darth Vader used the force to allow Han Solo to shoot him with a laser. At the same time, Hannibal Lector would saute his brains.


I really like Jack Sparrow at 8 and The Dude at 7 and Gollum is a great choice at 13. To be honest, I have no qualms with any of the choices through the first 40. You've even got Forrest Gump rounding out the top 20. How can you have a problem with something like this when you have Ron Burgundy next to Tony Montana who just barely beats out Gandalf. After 40 is another story though. You hit Harry Potter at 36 and Mary Poppins at 41 and from there it seems like a toss-up.


Snake Plissken at 76, Freddy Krueger at 95 and at 100 there is Mel Gibson's Martin Riggs.

Four Christmases, Two Thumbs Down

I had no intention of blogging about this movie but another blogger had the audacity to say it was a good film and I felt the need to set the record straight. I saw this film with my mother and after 30 minutes we looked at eachother and agreed this movie was not worth our time. The scenes aren't funny or believable (maybe this was the biggest issue for us. When you have a film like The Matrix you go in with a different mindset but this movie was set in the real world and was absurd. When does a group of seven and eight year olds physically attack a grown women, as Resse Witherspoon experiences? Are you kidding?!)

Thankfully, there was another movie we were able to sneak into and this film was great. I highly suggest "Role Models" to anyone who enjoyed Superbad, Knocked Up or American Pie. The humor is very similar and there is a touching story woven into the hilarious nature of the film. We've heard a lot about Michael Cera being that awkward heartwarming sidesplitting individual in films but he better watch out for Christopher Mintz-Plasse. He's putting in work to steal the show and they will be fighting for the same roles in the next few years.

No Date On The Horizon

U2 are apparently still at work on their 12th studio album, so far titled No Line on the Horizon-- but that may change. There is no definite release date chosen, although a sweet interview that guitarist The Edge gave for UK music magazine Mojo stated that the album would be delayed until at least February--but that may change.
"Song titles, lyrics, melody lines can change right up until the last minute," said The Edge, "It might take us a long time to establish the basis of the record musically, but then a lot of stuff will change."

Will U2 make any kind of definite decisions??


It is not stated in the interview, but with the release of a new album in the beginning of the year, the chances of a summer tour are quite high...


(And that better not change.)

Photo taken from www.U2.com

Four Christmases....HILARIOUS!

Over the Thanksgiving I break, I watched the movie "Four Christmases" which came out on November 26th. With Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn working together, this movie honestly was hilarious.
In this movie Vince (Brad) and Reese (Kate) try to get out of visiting their parents and step-parents which is why it's four Christmases. However, when they're plans don't exactly work out as they wanted, they are forced to re-visit their childhood and realize that there were many things they did not know about each other.
So far this movie is number one on the box office making about 31.6 million. If you haven't watched it yet I strongly suggest you do because a movie with Vince Vaughn, can't never go wrong!

Interview with "Wordy Shipmates" Author

Sarah Vowell, author of several bestselling books including Assassination Vacation and Take the Cannoli, has released a book about the Puritans in America titled The Wordy Shipmates. As usual, her commentary on American history is tinged with humor, a term that is rarely used in junction with the Puritans. In the Smithsonian Magazine, Sarah Vowell gives an interview about her new book, the characters who are in it, and her reasons for interest in this group of reserved, religious people. Not all of the Puritans abided by the Puritan Law, though, and she discusses the blasphemous rebellion of Anne Hutchinson, a women who gave sermons in her home and believed that the spirit of God was inside her. (In Puritanland, this resulted in banishment from society) The article titled "Sarah Vowell on the Puritans' Legacy" by Amanda Bensen is set up in question answer format with a brief introduction from Bensen. The questions are interesting, though, and the responses even more so. This article is definitley worth the read and I suspect the book is, too, if anyone is looking to add to their winter break list of leisurely reads.

The Worst of the Blogosphere

MSNBC.com put up a list of the "11 lamest blogs on the internet." For the record, J-Notes from New Paltz didn't make the list. But Rosie O'Donnell's grammatically incorrect blog and Paris Hilton's #1 fan blog did! Looking at the list, it seemed to me that all 11 blogs were deserving of their spots. Check it out.

Speedy Springsteen Releases 2nd Single

My Lucky Day

With his latest album Working On A Dream set for release on January 27, 2009, Bruce Springsteen has not been resting on his laurels until the new year. On December 1st, Myspace debuted the brand new video for the album's second single "My Lucky Day," and the song was made available for one week only on Amazon.com's MP3 store. The release comes on the heels after Springsteen's documented push for Obama in the 2008 Presidential Election, a special Halloween downloadable tune, and the release of the title track as the album's first single, all three taking place between October and November. While not breaking new ground musically and, in the video's case, visually, Springsteen and Co. stay on the terra firma that has delivered great acclaim since 2002's The Rising.

True Life Comes To New Paltz

Since the beginning of the semester MTV's True Life has been filming for True Life: I'm Competitive With My Friends, in my house. The show features my housemate Cory as the subject. They filmed us doing all sorts of things from playing basketball to throwing Cory in the dumpster behind our house. Having a film crew around was interesting and even though at times it was a bit of a nuisance, it was a great experience and were all pretty excited to make our television debuts. The show is set to air on MTV Saturday December 6th at 6 pm. so make sure you tune in.

The High Costs of Vaccines

Many doctors who vaccinate privately insured children are losing money when they perform the service and are thinking about stopping it. This has lead to many parents not getting their children vaccinated for certain diseases. This year cases of the measles have been the highest they have been in a decade, because parents are not getting their children vaccinated. Health officials are worried that this could set the stage for bigger outbreaks. With more vaccinations on the market than ever before, doctors not giving them to patients could really hurt. Gardasil, a vaccination for girls to prevent cervical cancer is one of the highest cost vaccinations priced at about $375. You can read more about it here http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g84gg3A_3CfzpN-HFg6R7lXO1SQQD94PNA4O0

One Prayer is Never Enough

pic: www.stlukesmethodist.org

It seems even Jesus has succumb to the world wide web, or at least his followers have. This article discusses how Christians can visit a website and ask for millions of strangers to pray for them in their time of need. It also seems as though, the more that pray for you, the better you are. In one tesimonial in the article Paige Maurer Wheeler, founder of ipraytoday.com says "We had a 78-year-old woman fall off a stool,” she said by telephone. “She was paralyzed. Her friend wrote in and said, ‘Pray for Marsha.’ And there she was, the next day, walking.”

I've included the link so anyone needing a bit of extra faith during this exam/holiday period, this is your chance...

http://www.ipraytoday.com/

Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death

On Black Friday a Wal-Mart employee in Long Island was trampled to death by customers storming through and breaking down the doors that the employee was trying to open. I can't even imagine how aggressive these customers had to be to actually kill someone. That's horrible. Here's a great article that really puts the whole aggressive consumer, Black Friday shopping thing in prospective.

New Stuff from Third Eye Blind

After five years Third Eye Blind has released four new songs digitally entitled "Red Star." These few songs were released Nov. 18 and will be followed by a full-length album, "Ursa Major," in the spring. I've heard some of the songs from "Red Star" and they're pretty good, still sounding like Third Eye Blind. My favorite is "Non-Dairy Creamer," which is getting a bit of controversy. Third Eye Blind drummer, Brad Hargreaves, says in this article that the song is about being real or fake. All four songs on "Red Star" have political tones and Hargreaves says, "There is no denying the fact that Third Eye Blind takes a small degree of satisfaction in saying things that may be polarizing."