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!

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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.

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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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