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."