NMM: The Boyle Brothers

It's hard to believe that 2012 is coming to an end very soon. First off, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog, especially these posts.

I started this "New Music Monday" series just a few months ago and it's exploded into the most popular series on my blog with over 1,300 total page views! I never imagined that would happen so thanks!

I'm going to end this year with a group of brothers who are up and coming on the music scene. The Boyle Brothers are made up of Jacob, Jared, Jesse and Jeffrey. The group auditioned for Season 2 of "The X-Factor" in Kansas City. 

Since then the group has continued to make videos on its YouTube channel, covering big name artists such as One Direction, Nelly, Little Big Town, Gotye, Phillip Phillips, Hunter Hayes and more.

Here's one of the group's most watched videos: a cover of Little Big Town's "Bring It On Home."

This is definitely a band to watch out for!

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Year In Review: 2012

I can't believe another year is about to close. This year has been filled with ups and downs, great experiences and new ventures.

There were some down times this year. Some misunderstandings with family and friends. But, that's life and you've got to move on.

Despite that, there were so many amazing things that happened. I started my junior year at N.C. State and passed all of my first semester classes. This is especially good considering I had to take accounting. Enough said.

2012 was filled with events that I was able to be apart of.

I crossed off one major thing from my bucket list when I finally got to see Elton John in concert back in March. To this day, that was the best concert I've ever been to in my life!

Then in July, I got the experience of a lifetime by going to the live tapings of "The X-Factor" auditions in Greensboro. It was amazing to see all that and to be in the same room with music royalty: L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato, Britney Spears and Simon Cowell.

There were many good (and bad) auditions but the whole thing was fun. I even got to see a guy audition whom I'd just seen perform online the previous night, Jacob Whitesides. We've actually become good friends on Twitter since then. You should check him out!

In addition to these awesome things, I also got to see the hit musical, "Jersey Boys," three times and went to the "Rock Like A Man" benefit concert held by the cast.

Rock Like A Man

Then in November, I supported another great cause by going to the 94.7 QDR Concert for the Kids.

I was a VIP for that and got to meet Kix Brooks, Lee Brice, Jason Michael Carroll and, of course, Scotty McCreery! I also got to chat with Wheeless and J.J. from the station.

Country for the Kids

Despite a few bad things that happened, this year has been AMAZING! I would like to thank all of you for reading my blog. It's amazing that this blog has had over 17,000 pageviews in its four year history! Rest assured there will be many more exciting posts to come!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 7

Well, Christmas is here! I've had fun posting some of my favorite Christmas jams during this miniseries and I hope you've enjoyed listening to them. This final day features four different songs.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The first is probably my all time favorite Christmas song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas." Of course, this song has probably been performed by every artist in the world but I've grown particuarly fond of Dave Barnes' rendition of it.

The second is "Mary, Did You Know" by Clay Aiken. Clay's voice still, to this day, amazes me.

Even though it's not necessarily a Christmas song, I include this next song because the message is one that should be delivered throughout the year! This is "The Prayer."

The final song is a fun one that I've always loved. After looking it up, it's hard to believe it was released 14 years ago. It's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by N'SYNC.

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 6

Well, it's Christmas Eve once again! I've enjoyed doing this miniseries showcasing some of my favorite Christmas tunes on my blog. I really do love this time of year and the music that comes along with that. In fact, I have right at 100 different Christmas songs on my iPod!

 

I've decided to include two of my favorite songs, sung by some people I've grown to know over the past few months.

 

The first is Jacob Whitesides. You probably remember I did a "New Music Monday" post on him over the summer after I saw him audition for "The X-Factor" in Greensboro. Jacob continues to release music, including his own rendition of the classic, "Jingle Bells."

The next song is by a new group, Fifth Harmony. This group of ladies came in third place on "The X-Factor" and are quickly gaining popularity before releasing any new music of their own! Two of the members, Camila Cabello and Lauren Jauregui, both auditioned in Greensboro for the show.

Each member of the fivesome was eliminated during the show's "Boot Camp" round but were brought back and formed into a group for mentor, Simon Cowell. After going through a couple of name changes, the group finally took the name Fifth Harmony.

Each of the finalists on the show performed a Christmas song. Fifth Harmony decided to go with the classic Mariah Carey tune, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" which is, coincidentally, one of my favorites.

Enjoy!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 5

This is another one of my favorite songs to listen to every Christmas. It's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Rascal Flatts. Enjoy!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 4

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey has been a holiday staple for many years and is right up there with my all time favorites.

This year, Jimmy Fallon and his "Late Night" band, The Roots, got together with Carey to perform the song using their voices...and classroom instruments! Check it out!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 3

Here's one of my favorite Christmas songs from one of my favorite bands. This is "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Little Big Town!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 2

This second day of Christmas music features a group of Italian, operatic singers better known as Il Volo. The trio is made up of teens Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble. They met on the Italian RAI TV music competition show, Ti lascio una canzone in 2009 and were crowned the winners. 

Since then, the group has gone on to produce three albums, including one for Christmas. One of the songs off that Christmas album is a medley of holiday favorites: "Jingle Bell Rock," "Let It Snow" and "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year."

ENJOY!

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Seven Days Of Plays: Day 1

Since Christmas is just a few days away, I've decided to post one of my favorite songs each day for you to listen to. 

Here's the first...

"Jingle Bell Rock" by Rascal Flatts

Rock, country and big band all together? If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit nothing will!

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NMM: Skye Stevens

Skye Stevens is an up and coming artist who has already gained fame with his debut single, "Takes All Night." The single, released in 2012, reached the top 20 on the Billboard Dance charts and has become very popular in clubs and radio stations across the country.

What makes him unique is he is the first ever Armenian pop star.

Stevens is busy working on more music and has released a second single, "Rewind," which is poised to be another hit.

Check out Skye's first single below.

P.S. Thanks for following me on Twitter man!

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Review: Life Of Pi

Photo: Hollywood.com

Imagine being involved in a ship wreck and being stranded out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but some food and wild animals to keep you company. That's what you'll find in Life of Pi. But is it real?

What To Know

Director: Ang Lee

Writers: David Magee (screenplay), Yann Martel (novel)

Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Adil Hussain

Rating: PG for emotional thematic content throughout, and some scary action sequences and peril. Parents Guide

Plot: Based on the best-selling novel, the movie centers around Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zoo keeper. The family decides to move to Canada from Pondicherry, India and hitches a ride on a cargo ship. The ship meets a ferocious storm and sinks, leaving Pi adrift on a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a Bengal tiger, named Richard Parker, fighting for survival.

SPOILER ALERT!!!! I asked that question at the end of the introduction because viewers are left wondering which of Pi's stories is actually true. We find Pi in a hospital after being found on the Mexican shore, telling his story to a pair of Japanese investigators trying to get to the bottom of the shipwreck. He tells the investigators the animal story first but they don't believe him.

Then, Pi tells them a more "realistic" and violent story where the animals are replaced by humans on the ship. The beautiful, noble zebra represents the exotic Chinese sailor. The gutless, violent, ugly hyena embodies all the revolting qualities of the greedy, cowardly cook. The maternal orangutan, with her vaguely human body and mannerisms, represents Pi’s own mother. And the tiger is Pi himself.

This forces us to lean more towards the latter story as true and conclude Pi used animals to cope with the events that happened. However, there's no definitive answer in the book nor the film so you're ultimately left to decide for yourself which is true.

Family Friendly? Possibly. This film would be okay for, say, children 10 and up to watch. It also brings a lot of religious aspects and values into play, which could spark great family conversations. 

Surprisingly for this age in movies, there is no swearing in the film. The only thing is Pi is called "pissing" in school because his name, Piscine, sounds very similar. The violence is pretty bad but most of it we don't see.

Should You See It? DEFINITELY! This is a brilliantly-made film and is right up there with my all time favorites. I would recommend seeing it in 3D if you can because that just enhances the entire experience. I believe this is the best 3D film I've ever seen (and I've seen tons). I'll be shocked if this film doesn't win an Oscar this year.

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NMM: Gary Allan

I'm sure many of you have heard of Gary Allan before. Well, the country music star is back with an uplifting new song called "Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)" and it's really catching on with country music fans, including myself.

The song is inspirational. It talks about all the storms and troubles you go through in life and how every one of them do eventually run out of rain and things get better. Have a listen!

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Review: Red Dawn

Photo: Red Dawn

Imagine you wake up one morning to find the U.S. Government has collapsed and your country is being invaded by one of your enemies. That's exactly what the creators of Red Dawn want you to experience.

What To Know

Director: Dan Bradley

Writers: Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore (Screenplay); Kevin Reynolds and John Milius (1984 Screenplay); Kevin Reynolds (Story)

Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Isabel Lucas, Adrianne Palicki, Connor Cruise

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense war violence and action, and for language. Parents Guide

Plot: A group of teens in a small town wake up one morning to find their livelihoods are under attack by North Korea. The teens band together to form a militia called the "Wolverines" and they try to fight off their invaders. Soon, the story of the "Wolverines" travels across the country and similar groups form to fight off the North Koreans.

Family Friendly? Not really. I mean, the movie is about a military invasion so there are obviously a lot of fight scenes, espcially using guns and other weapons. The language was refreshingly minimal for a movie like this but you still had the ocasional cuss word (sh** being the most used).

Should You See It? YES! I'll be honest, I was left wanting more at the end. It kind of just ends and, you're so into it, that you hate for it to be over. The movie is a remake of a 1984 film of the same name and the creators of this film do a great job of adpating it for today's world.

The makers originally had the Chinese as the invaders but changed it to North Korea to retain access to the Chinese box office.

This is not a highly publcized movie as some of the others out there right now but you should DEFINITELY go see it!

DID YOU KNOW?

This Red Dawn was originally scheduled to be released in 2010 but MGM went bankrupt and the film was shelved. Kind of weird to think we're seeing Chris Hemsworth pre-Thor and Josh Hutcherson pre-Hunger Games in this movie!

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NMM: Gloriana

Tom Gossin, Rachel Reinert and Mike Gossin.

Photo: George Chinsee

Ok, I'm sure you've heard of this group before. But, after about five years in the business, Gloriana is really hitting it big.

I had the chance to see this trio at the 94.7 QDR Concert For The Kids Concert at the Durham Performing Arts Center last Tuesday. The group is made up of brothers, Tom and Mike Gossin, as well as Rachel Reinert.

The group released its second album, A Thousand Miles Left Behind, in July and it has been met with critical acclaim. The band's hit song from that album, "(Kissed You) Goodnight," peaked all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard charts. The band is also nominated for a few American Music Awards this year.

Another single off the album, entitled "Can't Shake You," is quickly gaining radio airplay and rising up the charts. Have a listen!

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NMM: Phillip Phillips

Courtesy: UkuTabs.com

This week's look at new music features Phillip Phillips, the winner of American Idol season 11.

Since being crowned the champ, Phillips has already gained much fame. His debut single, "Home," peaked at No. 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and it was recently certified double platinum by the U.S. RIAA.

Phillips has now released his debut album, entitled The World From The Side Of The Moon, which is expected to do just as well.

True to Phillips' style, the new album features many guitar-driven tunes. One in particular is a great compliment to "Home" called "Gone, Gone, Gone."

With songs like these, expect to hear from Phillip for many years to come.

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NMM: Eben Franckewitz

I've decided to feature yet another up and coming star for this week's New Music Monday.

You guys have heard me talk about Eben Franckewitz before on my blog. The teen was a contesant on Season 11 of "American Idol" and ended up making it to the live shows before getting voted off.

Despite that, Franckewitz has continued shaping his career by performing at various shows including Teen Hoot and The Underground Ohio.

In addition, Franckewitz will often upload music videos where he covers popular songs. His latest is a cover of Alex Clare's "Too Close."

Take a look!

SHOUTOUT to Eben for following me on Twitter!

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ENG 316: Musical Comes To Durham, Helps Community

Photo: Carolina Theatre

The Tony Award-winning musical, Jersey Boys, is in Durham as a part of its 2nd national tour. And, on their only night off, the cast of the hit show took time to help those in need.

The show runs through Sunday at the Durham Performing Arts Center with nightly performances as well as matinee and evening performances on Saturday and Sunday. 

Throughout its run, the company of Jersey Boys has partnered with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, Superstorm Sandy relief and the Carolina Theatre's Arts Discovery program to raise money.

This has been done by having the stars of the show stand at the exits with red buckets for people to put a dollar or two in. Various gift items, such as autographed posters and Playbills, have also been available for a small donation.

Photo: Chris White

All of this culminated into a cabaret concert event, called "Rock Like A Man," where cast members peformed songs to fans for $50/ticket.

The cast performed everything from Stevie Wonder to Lady Gaga and wowed the nearly packed out Fletcher Hall at the Carolina Theatre (pictured left).

To date, the BC/EFA program has raised over $195 million through all Broadway, off-Broadway and touring shows and continues to help many people. Even Broadway cast members themselves.

At the concert, Colby Foytick, who plays Tommy DeVito in this production of Jersey Boys, told a heartbreaking story of how he had just lost his mom to liver cancer a few days ago and how BC/EFA helped him.

Foytick said he received an email soon after his mother's death from the director of BC/EFA (whom he had never met) and he was told that the organization was making a $2,500 donation to a local charity in his mother's memory.

This is just a fraction of the great work BC/EFA has done not only for everyday people but for those in the Broadway family as well. Below is a video from Carlos Valdes, who plays bass guitar in the band of a performance of Toto's "Rosanna" at the Rock Like A Man concert Monday night.

Reflection: I have been to see Jersey Boys twice (and will go for a third time on Sunday) while it has been in Durham over the past few weeks. On both occasions, I made a donation and got a signed poster and Playbill.

I also attended the Rock Like A Man concert and really enjoyed it. I am proud to know I supported a great cause and I hope I can continue to do so in the future.

Full Story

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NMM: Shaheen Jafargholi

This week's artist is truly a no brainer. I, honestly don't know why it's taken this long to feature Shaheen Jafargholi on the blog. I'll have to talk to the author about that!

Anyway, if you don't know who I'm talking about, maybe this will jog your memory...

It's crazy to think that Jafargholi's incredible audition was three years ago. I still get chills from watching someone that young have an amazing singing voice like that.

The now 15-year-old from Swansea, Wales is steadily climbing the charts. He released a debut album in 2011, called Coming of Age, and has appeared on a few television shows in the U.K. as well.

The very first song on that album, "Last Train Home," is brillant. The writers did a magnificient job with the song and Shaheen delivered a performance as only he can do.

Although the album was released in 2011, this is still new music because it never reached the U.S. Hopefully the album will make its way to the U.S. sometime because I'll be one of the first to buy it.

P.S. Shoutout to Shaheen for following me on Twitter! You're awesome man!

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Review: Flight

Photo: Flight / IMDb

What if I said a pilot who saved your life from a doomed airplane was intoxicated and high while he was flying it? 

That's exactly the storyline director, Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Castaway), and writer, John Gatins (Real Steel, Coach Carter), want you to believe in this thrilling drama.

What To Know

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Writer: John Gatins

Stars: Denzel Washington, Nadine Velazquez and Carter Cabassa

Rating: R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence. Parents Guide

Plot: Picture this: you get on a plane for a flight in some stormy conditions. The plane is met with intense turbulence and it suffers a major mechanical malfunction. Your plane is heading straight for a crash landing on earth when your pilot comes up with a ridiculous plan which ends up saving more lives than expected. 

SPOILER ALERT!!!! After the crash, an investigation by the NTSB shows the pilot, Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) was heavily intoxicated the night before and during the flight. After a series of lies throughout the investigation, Whip finally breaks down and tells the truth.

He spends time in jail where he sobers up, finds God, and shares his story with fellow inmates.

Family Friendly? Nope. You can answer this question just from the first scene where we see a fully naked woman getting out of bed with Whip after a night of sex, drugs, and alcohol. 

In addition, the film uses numerous profanities and we obviously see uses of alcohol and drugs throughout. I would say this is one of those "guys night out" kind of movies.

Should You See It? Definitely yes! Besides Remember The Titans this is my favorite Denzel Washington film. His performance was top-notch and he really sold himself as a troubled pilot who had reached rock bottom and needed help.

Flight is yet another movie I'm putting on my Oscars watch list.

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ENG 316: Time To Talk

This week's filter post for news writing class is going to filter the election and the reaction to the results on Facebook. 

Last night, after President Obama won re-election, I saw mostly positive comments from both sides. Some just disagreed with me on Fox News' reaction to the results and other things like that, although the race was over anyway. But some decided to take it a step further. Some people talked about moving out of the country while some others actually made racist comments.

First, for those who would like to move out of the country, who's stopping you? If you want to fine but good luck finding a better place to live. 

Now, where I take issue is how can someone make racist comments and actually publish them on Facebook? It boggles my mind how anyone would be so disgusting, so incompetent to do such a thing! I'm sick and tired of the racist comments toward President Obama. Would you like it if we called Mitt Romney "whitey?" Didn't think so!

The comment has since been deleted but it's still a problem that someone would initially think to make something like that public on Facebook. Yes, I said public. Just because you have your privacy set to just friends seeing your posts doesn't necessarily mean everyone else can't see it.

One more note: by the end of election night, I had lost two more Facebook friends because they obviously couldn't take the heat I was dishing out. Fine, if you want to take the petty way out then be my guest. But that won't stop me from publishing my thoughts nor will it hurt me personally as you intended to do.

Now that President Obama has been re-elected, we must all shut up and work together for the good of our country.  

Pray for President Obama and all our leaders don't bash them. That just divides our country further.

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NMM: Triple Threat

I decided to feature three, count 'em, three artists for this week's New Music Monday.

Hope you enjoy!

The first is a group I really love: The Band Perry. This country group has grown in popularity over the past couple years and will be joining Rascal Flatts on their extended "Changed" tour (which hits Greensboro in February).

The group released a new song, called "Better Dig Two," which is a new style of song for them. It's got a really nice base to it and is different from their previous tunes like "If I Die Young" and "Postcard From Paris." Either way, this song is sure to be a hit.

The next artist is another one of my favorite country artists, Toby Keith. He has released a brand new album entitled Hope On The Rocks and I'm addicted to the title track.

The "Red Solo Cup" crooner shows a more serious side, addressing people who face challenges in life and can only turn to the local bartender to talk to.

The final artist I'm profiling this week is a guy who was awesome enough to follow me on Twitter after I mentioned his EP album, Because Of You on my profile.

Beatty is an up and coming artist but don't let that fool you. His songs are a nice mix of happy, pop tunes and slower, ballad-like songs. All are beautifully written and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him in the future.

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Forgiveness

"Forgive those who have hurt you" - Les Brown

Thanks to an minor incident that happened at church yesterday, I'm having to take this quote to heart. I don't want to get into any details but, let's just say, someone who's a close friend and a member of my church family said something to me that hurt pretty bad. I was shell shocked when they said what they did and I couldn't respond other than leaving. 

Now, if you're in my church family and you're reading this, don't worry. It was nothing hateful or cause for concern on your part. It just took me by surprise coming from this particular person. I've sent them a message on Facebook and hopefully they'll respond. 

Forgiveness is a hard thing to do.

Please pray that this situation will be resolved.

UPDATE: The person responded and apologize. Thanks for the prayers!

Coming up later today is THREE TIMES the music on this week's New Music Monday. Stay tuned!

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ENG 316: Travis Celebrates 25 Years in Durham

Photo: Chris White

Country superstar, Randy Travis, celebrated 25 years in the music business by making a stop for a concert in Durham.

The 7-time GRAMMY winner performed in front of an almost sold out Durham Performing Arts Center Sunday night. He sung many of his hits, including "Forever and Ever Amen," "Three Wooden Crosses" and "I Told You So." At the end, Travis stayed around, shook some hands and even signed a few autographs before exiting the stage.

Reflection: Unfortunately, the only article I could find on this concert was a press release from the Durham Performing Arts Center on Yahoo! announcing the concert. However, the rest of the information came from my own experience.

This was the first time I had seen Randy Travis in person and I was not disappointed. He performed a wide range of his songs and made the concert feel like we were just sitting and chatting with him in the living room. It was a very unique experience to see a legend like him in my own hometown!

Full Story

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Incompetence Tour: Ann Coulter

You know I can't go through an election season without talking about one of my "favorite" people: Ann Coulter. The Conservative columnist is up to her usual, no good tricks again.

This time, she appeared on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" seeming as defiant as ever making statements that are low, even by her standards. 

When asked by Morgan on why she called President Obama "the retard" after the third debate on her Twitter account, Coulter gave a haphazard response, claiming she was not calling the president a "Down Syndrome child" and claimed that the "R-word" is now synonymous with "loser." 

Since when and on what planet?

As far as I know, people have (and always will) use the "R-word" as a derogatory term toward people with disabilities.

John Franklin Stevens, a Special Olympics athlete and global messenger who has Down Syndrome responded by saying:

"I’m a 30 year old man with Down syndrome who has struggled with the public’s perception that an intellectual disability means that I am dumb and shallow.  I am not either of those things, but I do process information more slowly than the rest of you.  In fact it has taken me all day to figure out how to respond to your use of the R-word last night.”

What was Coulter's response?

“It would be one thing if I said in my tweet a joke about Special Olympics, a joke about Down Syndrome,” she said. “No one would call someone with Down Syndrome ‘retard.’ I call you a ‘retard.’"

And to her critics, or "word police" as Coulter harped on, who had the audacity to make a true comparison of calling a black person the "N-word" and calling a disabled person the "R-word:"

“Oh, screw them. That’s what they feel I do? I feel they’re being authoritarian bullying victims.”

Yes Ms. Coulter, these people are just "victims." Give me a freaking break! 

In my opinion, Ann Coulter is a pathetic person who obviously has nothing better to do with her time than bring people down with her highly offensive comments.

Not to mention, she obviously has zero respect for the president so I have zero respect for her, to put it nicely.

Here is the video of her discussion with Piers Morgan...

UPDATE: According to my news writing professor, the historical, medical term "idiot" actually meant someone with mental retardation. Just an interesting fact!

Next Stop: Richard Mourdock

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NMM: Never Gone

Colton Dixon made it pretty far on the previous season of "American Idol" before being let go. That didn't discourage him as he has jumped into his music career by releasing a couple new singles.

One is an amazing Christian song called "Never Gone." I won't explain it anymore, just listen to it!

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Icompetence Tour: Facebook

Over the course of this political season, there are three friends on Facebook who I have become very disappointed with.

One of my friends decided to "mute" me (however you do that without unfollowing) just because we didn't share the same political beliefs.

Another friend decided to take it to the next level by actually unfriending me because I had too much political stuff on my timeline. What makes it even more ridiculous is I had seen a fair share of political mumbojumbo on their timeline in the past as well.

I used to have good, wholehearted conversations and debates with my final FB friend but now it's getting more and more heated. In a particular discussion last week, this person basically said I was an ignorant student who didn't have enough "real life experience" to know the ins-and-outs of politics. Then, in a response to a video I posted the other day, the person decided to make false claims without any evidence about how President Obama will turn the country into a socialist nation.

After I pressed the person into explaining why they said that, they went on to say I was "so blinded by my allegiance" I didn't even recognize that the president was turning the country into a socialist nation. All this happening when I didn't insult them in return. I simply asked questions and addressed the issues.

Look, I know I'm only twenty years old and I may not have enough "life experience" but I'm smarter and wiser than you think I am. I watch the news, read many news publications and I watched all the presidential and vice-presidential debates. Contrary to your belief, I know which direction I want this country to go in and it is not that of the party you pledge your allegiance to.

Enough is enough. It's one thing to disagree with one's beliefs but it's an entirely different thing to unfriend, mute, or belittle someone because of his or her beliefs. There's this little invention called the scroll bar. If you don't like what I say, use it!

Next Stop: Ann Coulter

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The Incompetence Tour 2012

Courtesy: Reuters

For the remainder of the time until the election, I will be highlighting some people who have just been flat out incompetent and, quite frankly, have no idea what's going on or when to shut up.

Our first stop on the Incompetence Tour 2012 is Donald Trump. This guy has been weaving in-and-out of politics quite often over the past couple of years. He's also been trying to bring the Obama and Democratic campaigns down for about the same amount of time (to no prevail I might add).

Enter his "big announcement" that would apparently "shake up the election." Trump, not surprisingly, paraded around Fox News claiming it was "bigger than anybody would know." He made the announcement in a "ransom"-like video, as described by the Orlando Sentinel, yesterday making a proposition to the president: he would donate $5 million to a charity of Mr. Obama's choice if the president released his college transcripts and passport records in return.

Ok...WHAT?!?

I honestly don't get why (a) Trump would make such an "announcement" like that and (b) why anyone would give a rat's ass about Mr. Obama's college and passport records. What are those documents going to prove? That Obama was a partier in college? That Obama pulled all nighters to study for an exam? That Obama traveled outside the country on vacation? Yea those are big election shakers, people!

Trump's "announcement" sparked, well, a bunch of laughter and disapproval from both sides. According to the Christian Science Monitor, Conservative commentator, Michelle Malkin, cited Trump's past donations to Democrats and called him a "tea party pretender." Democratic senator from California, Barbara Boxer, said she would give Trump $50 if he would "stop making this election about himself."

I do believe that's all he's really doing. Trump is going back to his birther argument under the delusion that there's something in Obama's past that prevents him from holding the Oval Office. I'll revert to what my mom has told me time and time again when we've been discussing this: "if our system is that corrupted to allow someone not qualified to be president, we have a serious problem." Of course, it's not so The Donald should, once again, just go away. He will never get anywhere with this extortion and blackmail plot against the president!

That's all for this stop on the Incompetence Tour 2012.

Next Stop: People on Facebook

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ENG 316: Uphill Battle For Newsweek

Courtesy: Newsweek / Wikipedia

Newsweek, a highly popular magazine with a national and international audience, is bidding "adieu" to print and switching to an all-digital format in 2013.

The news magazine, which has been around since 1933, has become a staple for many if not all journalists and other consumers. The move stems from a recent report where IAC, which owns 80% of Newsweek, saw its losses rise to $13.2 million from just $2.8 million a year ago, according to The New York Observer.

The move to an all-digital format “would dramatically decrease those loses,” said Barry Diller, chairman and chief executive of IAC in a quarterly earnings call, reported by The New York Observer.

But now the real challenge is getting those loyal print subscribers to change with them. Newsweek realizes it is "easier said than done" in another article written by Chris O' Shea of Fishbowl NY.

As O' Shea later pointed out, although the whole iPad and tablet experience is great, "people who subscribe to a magazine do so because they love the printed version."

Only time will tell how this works out for Newsweek. But with a loyal print subscription it will only be an uphill battle.

Reflection: Both articles are written well and explain the challenges looming for Newsweek. Both used good quotes to explain and back up each authors' purpose. 

The New York Observer story

Fishbowl NY story

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NMM: Reed Deming

Courtesy: "The X-Factor"

You guys know from previous profiles on my blog of talented singers, Brendan Macfarland and Jacob Whitesides, that I love to showcase music from young, up and coming artists. This week is no different as I profile Reed Deming. 

The 13-year-old from San Antonio, Texas gained national attention on "The X-Factor" and made it all the way to the judges' homes round, ultimately falling short of the live shows.

Despite that, Deming's voice is incredible and many fans are calling for his return on the show as a wildcard. For his sake, I hope this happens because he has such a unique and powerful voice for his age. 

I would describe his voice as alternative pop/rock. According to his website Deming also plays guitar and saxophone, dances and acts making him a "triple threat" as an artist. Deming's songwriting and performance skills go well beyond his years and that will take him a long way.

Below is his cover of Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" and check out Reed's Facebook and Twitter for more!

Video by Eduardo Guerra

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Rainy Day For FOX

Courtesy: "X-Factor" / FOX

I figured I haven't done an Oops Award in a while and, boy, is there a clear winner this week.

The "X-Factor's" motto is "Unforgettable. UnXpected." Well, thanks in part to FOX, it lived up to its motto Wednesday night. 

Baseball was slated to be aired and the "X-Factor" was scheduled to air right after (at 8). However, a rain delay put everything on hold. Instead of going ahead and airing the pre-recorded "X-Factor" episode during the delay useless updates on the game, commercials and then one of the broadcasting company's failing shows are shown, preempting the "X-Factor" for no reason.

Once the show finally came on, it stayed on until the final 15 minutes when Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell were going to reveal their picks for the live shows in November. What does FOX do? They cut right through and put on "The Mindy Project," another one of its failing shows. 

The kicker is this was happening all while the game was still in a rain delay. The game didn't continue until well after 10 o'clock eastern time, past the "X-Factor's" original time slot.

Fans (including myself) were confused and outraged by this. It was literally like someone had come in and flipped the TV to another station. The worse part was neither "The X-Factor" nor FOX have offered any apology to fans whatsoever. The show's creator, Simon Cowell, wrote a halfhearted "sorry" in a tweet but that was all. Very unprofessional on the part of both the "X-Factor" and FOX. That's how a show can lose its viewers.

Nevertheless, the "final judgement show," as it is being called, will supposedly be aired in its entirety next Tuesday at 8/7c. 

I wouldn't hold my breath, though.

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ENG 316: 'Late Show' Breakup?

Paul Shaffer has been the musical director on The Late Show with David Letterman for three decades. Could it all come to an end?

That is, at least, a report gathered by the New York Post. In it, the Post writes that Shaffer is considering leaving the show when his contract expires in 2014.

The article cites a quote from Shaffer in TV Guide Canada: "We’ve been on 30 years so now we’ve got another two years. I’m going to be certainly ready to lie down after that, take a nap."

According to the Post, Shaffer's current contract pays $5 million per year and said that he admits it won't be easy to give up his job.

"I love to be the center of attention," he jokes. “My oversized ego craves it and needs it."

The Post goes on to say that Shaffer insists that anything can still happen.

"Life is nutty. Anything can happen. I’ve been so lucky and blessed to be working this long in show business."

Reflection: The article does a nice job of reporting this rumored breakup between Letterman and Paul Shaffer. It is an interesting story that has not really been widely reported as of late. It will be an intriguing story to follow.

Full Story

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Enough

I had another blog post in mind for today. That is, until I saw this picture...

After a search for the picture, I was led to (of all things) AsianConservatives.com where more of President Obama's quote was written.

What the website blatantly fails to tell you is where this was said and in what context. The president made these remarks during a speech to the Turkish Parliament in an effort to strengthen relations between the United States and Turkey.

I was outraged by this picture and the image it potrayed. And I wasn't alone. A commenter on the Asian Conservatives website, who is a U.S. Army soldier, said:

"This is an entirely inappropriate backdrop. I'm appalled by the bigotry some people in this nation have towards Muslims."

I, too, am sick and tired of these kinds of images freely propogating in our society. There is good and bad in all religions and, if any of you believe this picture, I am very concerned. 

Not all Islamists are trained to be terrorists. In all actuality, extremists killed our people on 9/11. Muslims who worked in America were killed in the terrorist attacks as well. 

A good friend of mine is a Muslim-American and she has done very well here in the states and abroad. I wouldn't believe for one second that she was a terrorist who wanted to wage war against America. 

I find this image to be disgraceful to our president, our nation and Muslim-Americans. This is exactly what is wrong with our country. I can't believe the lengths conservatives will go to get its message of intolerance across to all who will ignorantly accept it.

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NMM: Emblem3

If you've been watching "The X-Factor" this season, you may have seen this group before. Emblem3 has reached the judges' homes after rolling through the audition and boot camp rounds of the show. 

The trio from Huntington Beach, C.A. is made up of two brothers, Wesley and Keaton Stromberg, as well as their friend, Drew Chadwick. According to Wikipedia, the band previously appeared on the seventh season of NBC's America's Got Talent, reaching the top 20. This year, the group decided to try out for "The X-Factor" and took a risk while doing it too.

Most of the time, the judges are skeptical of a person or group who performs an original song. Since no one has heard it, it may not be the best song to judge someone on. Nevertheless, Emblem3 performed its original song, "Sunset Blvd." The song wowed the audience and prompted the judges to give the group four coveted yeses, moving them on to the boot camp round of the competition.

I really have liked this group since day one. Emblem3 brings a different vibe to the stage. I would say the group has a little alternative rock flavor to it with some hip hop and rap thrown in as well.

Have a listen!

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State Fair Preview

Courtesy: WRAL

The 2012 N.C. State Fair is quickly approaching so here's an insider look on my favorite places to go and a preview of what's to come at this year's fair!

You can begin by hanging out on the largest midway in North America, soaking in all the thrills of the rides.

According to a report on WRAL, the midway will add some glitz and glamor this year with two new rides. Rock Star is a guitar-shaped ride that is, actually, not all that extreme like its name implies but it's intriguing nonetheless.

The other ride, Genesis which is much like Rock Star, is bigger, faster and has a sick display. You should definitely try these out (I know I will).

If you're not the thrill seeking type, there's still plenty to do.

The Flower and Garden Show is always a popular attraction for fairgoers. According to Agricultural Commissioner, Steve Troxler, this year's show has over 9,000 entries.

There's also the Arts and Photography Competition in the Scott Building, located right at Blue Ridge Road. 

As you may or may not know, I've submitted some of my photography in the competition. I've never won anything but the great part about this competition is your artwork is displayed for the duration of the fair for over a million fairgoers to enjoy, win or lose.

When you're done checking out the artwork, pop over to the Got To Be N.C. tent, located right outside the Scott Building, and enjoy learning about all kinds of different foods and beverages made in North Carolina. The best part is this tent is taste test city! There are free samples of products at just about every table which is always a plus!

Another booth I love to go to is local news station, WRAL's. Located adjacent to Dorton Arena, you can meet your favorite news personalities from the station, get freebies, and enter contests for awesome prizes. Plus, if your timing is right, WRAL will do live news shots from outside the tent so you may even get on television!

Speaking of Dorton Arena, a must for me each year is going to one of the nightly concerts. This year's lineup is amazing! It includes Michael W. Smith, Matthew West and Sanctus Real, Scotty McCreery, Jason Michael Carroll and Brian McKnight, just to name a few. I'm going to the Hot Chelle Rae concert and I'm really excited. I normally go to a country concert but wanted to change it up this year.

Whew! You tired yet? Well, what about the food?

For lunch or dinner, my all time favorite place to go is the McBride's tent. You can't miss those big, red and white tents on the fairgrounds. McBride's is one of the oldest concession stands having been around for 80 years. They have everything from footlong hotdogs to my personal favorite, Italian sausage with peppers and onions. You've got to try it!

Now, how about a snack? I love to try new things when I go to the fair, especially the latest deep fried concoctions. This year, the fair is introducing deep fried Girl Scout Samoa cookies, deep fried cinnamon rolls sprinkled with bacon bits and deep fried cupcakes. Have the paramedics on standby! It all sounds so ridiculously good I may just try them all!

One final place to hit is the Smitty's Apples stand, located near the Grist Mill area of the fairgrounds (just follow the loud backfiring noise of the ice cream makers). They have everything from fresh apples to fritters and more. I normally get an apple dumpling with a warm apple drizzle on it. Trust me, it's to die for!

So, there you have it! A preview of this year's fair and a glimpse at my favorite things to do. If you go to the fair, you'll never be disappointed that's for sure!

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ENG 316: Staying Local Means Sticking Close To Family

Kayla Schuller (second from left) posing with her family.

Kayla Schuller is happy to stay local.

The N.C. State senior has spent virtually all her life in the Triangle area. She is from Apex and attended Peace in Raleigh up until the fall of 2011.

“With an older brother in the Air Force and a younger brother in high school, I plan on staying in North Carolina for now to be close to my family,” Schuller said last week.

Schuller is studying English with a concentration in language, writing and rhetoric. She thought about going into the teaching field but is leaning more toward the technical writing field. Schuller still keeps teaching as a possibility but wanted a change in her education.

She decided to transfer from Peace and attend N.C. State.

“I liked living at Peace but it was hard being constantly around girls having spent my entire life around two brothers,” Schuller said.

She loves to work with children. She has worked part time at a local YMCA for six years, doing everything from coordinating after school programs to leading volleyball camps during the summer.

She has enjoyed working with them and devoted her news writing class blog to the children she has worked with. Tricks Are for Kids focuses on children and their interesting sayings.

“You never know what they are going to say,” Schuller said. “One time a 2nd grader at the YMCA camp talked on and on about a species of animal to me like she was an expert.”

Kayla Schuller likes staying local. Although her time here at N.C. State has been fairly short, she seems to be enjoying life on campus. She likes how she can expand her studies and turn that into a successful career one day.

“I really hope to broaden my horizons by attending N.C. State,” she said.

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NMM: Outta My Head

Craig Campbell, singer of "Fish" and "Family Man," has released a brand new song called "Outta My Head." The song has a great feel to it that is destined to be played over and over on country radio stations nationwide. 

The song has very well written lyrics and is, almost, contagious in a way. His previous two songs broke the top twenty on the country charts but I think this one could do even better.

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Debate Recap

As a person who follows politics and the elections fairly closely, I got little to nothing out of the debate last night. However, I did pick up three key points:

1) Mitt Romney talks way too much

2) Jim Lehrer (the moderator) looked like he wanted to bang his head against a wall

3) Some people don't like you posting political stuff on Facebook

First off, Mitt Romney talks way too much. He interrupted President Obama. He interrupted Jim Lehrer. Heck, I think he even interrupted himself. It was ridiculous!

Next up, the moderator himself. Jim Lehrer honestly looked like he wanted to just get up and leave. Each candidate wanted about ten hours over his allotted time and Lehrer was frustrated at the whole thing.

Not to mention, Romney insulted Lehrer and PBS by saying he would cut subsidies that the broadcast organization gets. To defend himself, Romney said, "But I love you, Jim, and I love Big Bird." Yea, definitely not a good thing to say in front of a PBS icon!

Finally, I guess some people don't like others posting political things on Facebook. I'm sorry but deal with it. Like I alluded to in a post on my Facebook profile, no one is forcing you to read those politically-charged posts. 

Facebook is an open forum that is supposed to be used for catching up with friends and family but it can and should be used for the posting of opinions as well. Just as long as you're not communicating threats to one another, I don't see any harm in it. If you don't like a post, use a handy tool called the scroll bar. Just ignore it!

Well, there you have it. My not-so-sincere debate recap. 

I decided to do this because, quite frankly, my mind is already made up and what is said at this point is trivial to me. Although, I'm still waiting on Mitt Romney's actual plans to deal with our country's issues. I'd really love to hear them!

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Unrest At 'Idol?'

All four judges looking pretty happy with host, Ryan Seacrest.

The American Idol auditions are not even a week old and there has already been an argument between two of the judges.

The incident happened between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey this week in Charlotte and it forced show executives to put the auditions on hold to let both judges "cool down." 

According to TMZ, the argument stemmed from an apparent disagreement over a contestant's audition. The war of words had veteran judge, Randy Jackson, mediating while judge, Keith Urban, was stuck in the middle and speechless.

Here is a video from TMZ of the incident. 

In my opinion, I'm not really surprised at what happened. I figured these two would probably argue at some point. Of course, I didn't think it would be this early in the season. It's definitely not good publicity for the show which has been struggling in the ratings game as of late.

I don't know if I'd be "happy" about this or banging my head against the wall. For one, if people think these two will fight more often, that may translate to more ratings for the show. On the other hand, Idol has seen little to no judges' quarrels in its history, so things like this could ruin its integrity.

I don't understand why these two had to act like preschoolers while the contestants of the show and the show's integrity are the most important. We'll see how all this plays out.

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NMM: Double The Tunes

We're going north of the border for this week's New Music Monday. Enjoy!

Cedar Park

Based in Toronto, Canada, Cedar Park is a band made up of one person: Dylan White. The songwriter is joined by other artists on collaborations and released a track with "Canadian Idol" season two winner, Kalan Porter.

The song, called Believe Me has beautiful lyrics and is just amazing. With Cedar Park White wanted to challenge the traditional idea of a band and I believe he did so.

The Abrams Brothers

This group started out as a duo of brothers from Canada. A cousin of the two brothers was recently added, launching this trio. The group is the fourth generation of traveling bluegrass singers and perform a style of music they like to call "newgrass." The idea is they take their traditional bluegrass roots and put a little spin on them.

The group has released a new album entitled Northern Redemption. The last track may actually surprise you. They took Coldplay's hit Viva la Vida and put their own style on it, turning the song into an instant "newgrass" hit!

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Review: Looper

Imagine a world where a mob rules and wants to get rid of someone. They send the target 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to "close the loop" by transporting back Joe's future self.

What To Know

Director: Rian Johnson

Writer: Rian Johnson

Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels

Rating: R for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drug content. Parents Guide

Plot: In the year 2042, a man working for a group of killers called "Loopers" (who work for the mob and kill people who are sent back by their bosses) recognizes a victim as himself. He hesitates, resulting in the escape of his older self and a quest for vengeance ensues. (Courtesy of IMDb.com) 

Family Friendly? Well, if the rating didn't clue you in, then I'll go out on a limb, here, and say no. Lots of cussing, drugs, sex, violence, blood and, yes, even a brief view of a woman's bare breasts makes for a not-so-good choice for the family.

Should You See It? Definitely! If you're okay with mob-like violence and a few frightening scenes (such as a child getting grazed on the cheek by a bullet) then you'll be fine. Beyond the violence, the ending has a very unexpected but good side to it.

 

Looper is yet another great movie and is definitely one to look out for at the Oscars. 

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Untold Story of the Voter ID Debate

Natalie Butler, a 2012 graduate and former student government president of the University of Texas at Austin, said a Texas law that would prevent voters from using student IDs could have a negative effect on the voting process. (Courtesy: Lizzie Chen/News21)

It's getting harder and harder for students to go to the polls.

At least, that's the case for some states such as Georgia, Texas and New Hampshire where going to the polls has turned into more of a burden than a privilege for college students.

We'll start in Georgia. College students in state colleges and universities can use their student IDs as a form of identification on election day. However, students at private institutions, such as the prestigious Morehouse College, are not allowed to use their student IDs. The reason? Lawmakers claim the "lack of uniformity among school IDs would be a burden for poll workers."

Just for curiosity, I compared the student cards of five different North Carolina schools: Elon, Wake Forest and Duke (private schools) as well as N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill (public schools). Have a look for yourself and you see if they all look different. The point is, wouldn't presenting a card from a state institution cause the same "burden" on poll workers (whatever that may be) as a private institution?

Georgia state Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan, a Democrat, has introduced three bills since 2008 to accept IDs from all accredited schools, rather than just public schools. Not surprisingly, all three failed. Morgan got the idea in 2008 from one of her office interns, Aubrey Patterson, who was a poll worker. Patterson told Morgan that in the 2008 elections, he saw both private college and state university students told they could not use their student IDs at the polls.

"Accepting student IDs makes voting more convenient," Patterson said, "because many students don’t have driver’s licenses and don’t have a reason to carry another form of ID."

There's an even worse situation going on in Texas. The state legislature passed a law that banned all forms of student ID (public and private) as valid at the polls but still allowed a gun permit to be an acceptable form of identification. The measure is being blocked by the Department of Justice and is under review.

Another problem in Texas and other states is the residency of students. Out-of-state students must choose which state they want to vote in — their home state, where they may have to file an absentee ballot, or at school, where they face scrutiny from local residents.

And the attack on students doesn't end in these two states.

New Hampshire received national attention when state House Speaker William O’Brien, a Republican, mentioned voting restrictions that would affect students, such as same-day voter registration, and then attacked how he presumed students would vote.

“Voting as a liberal, that’s what kids do,” he was recorded as saying. "They lack the life experience and they just vote their feelings.”

I don't know about the rest of my fellow students, but I for one don't vote on my "feelings." What are we in, some kind of therapy session? This ploy by lawmakers in all states is a blatant attack on students and it needs to be stopped immediately.

With the last election showing a record turnout among voters in the 18-24 age demographic, the youth vote will be just as important as it was then. 

You can read more on this story here.

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