Kayden Stephenson

Photo: Instagram/KaydenStephenson

"American Idol" made the final stop on its nationwide search for talent in Oklahoma City, the old stomping grounds of one of its most successful artists, Carrie Underwood.

One of the final contestants shown on this episode was 16-year-old Kayden Stephenson.

Kayden was born with cystic fibrosis, a terminal illness. His estimated life expectancy is only 35. With that in mind, he wants to do as much as he can while he's young and has the chance. He decided to follow his dream and audition for "Idol."

Kayden sung one of my personal favorites, Stevie Wonder's "I Wish," and was pretty darn good. The judges fell in love with him and sent him through to the next round. I think he will be one to watch for in Hollywood week!

But, beyond that, Kayden is an inspiration to everyone. We all take life for granted everyday. He has taught me to value my life even more because it is so precious.

Take a look at his amazing story.

Kayden Stephenson, Auditions Oklahoma... by HumanSlinky

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Out Of Bounds

When I saw this video on ESPN, I fell out in the floor laughing. I bet the referee didn't expect this to happen...

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NMM: Parmalee

We're back to country music this week with a band from right here in North Carolina, Parmalee. This band is fairly new on the scene but is getting a lot of airplay on local radio stations, including 94.7 QDR. Parmalee consists of two brothers, Matt and Scott Thomas, along with their cousin, Barry Knox, and their longtime friend, Josh McSwain. 

The "Must Have Had A Good Time" crooners have released another single called "Carolina." This is a great song and one that is sure to be a success for the band. It should get a lot of playtime on radio stations across the country.

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ENG 417: Secret Mentor

Naturally, I could have selected a sportswriter as my "secret mentor" but, instead, I'm choosing David Muir from ABC News.

Muir is known for his reporting on television and being the weekend anchor of "World News with Diane Sawyer." However, Muir transfers his top-notch reporting to the web where he writes many stories for ABC News' website.

Muir writes stories on numerous topics ranging from business, to entertainment, to politics. I guess that is why I like him as a journalist. He covers a wide variety of topics, like my blog, and does so very well.

One of his series I like to see on television and read online is "Made In America." This is a series of stories that profiles American businesses and captures them in a positive light. All to entice viewers and readers to give that company business and to stimulate the American market.

There are many journalists and/or writers I look up to. David Muir is a great example of someone I would like to be in the future. I feel the way he writes and reports can be used in my own writing and reporting if I get into the field.

Here is a video of one of Muir's "Made In America" reports.

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NMM: Capital Kings & Royal Tailor

This week's look at new music features Capital Kings and Royal Tailor, two Christian pop groups who are making some noise in the business. Both are currently apart of the 2013 Winter Jam Tour Spectacular and have released a collaboration song, called "Living for the Other Side." 

Check it out!

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Review: Silver Linings Playbook

 

After a long wait, I finally got to see this film. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

What To Know

Director: David O. Russell

Writers: David O. Russell (screenplay) and Matthew Quick (novel)

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver and Chris Tucker

Rating: R for language and some sexual content/nudity. Parents Guide

Plot: Pat Solatano has lost everything - his house, his job and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his parents after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain for beating up his wife's lover. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife despite their tough separation.

When Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives. Written by The Weinstein Company

Family Friendly? No. Although there is an overall positive message in the film, the subject matter is hard for young children to understand. There are also some frightening scenes and profanties throughout. 

Should You See It? Absolutely! The film does an incredible job of mixing sorrow and heartbreak with comedy. It is nominated for eight Academy Awards and rightly so. For me, Silver Linings Playbook is one of the best films I've seen this year.

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Fighting For A Change

Pla (far right) with her teammates. Photo: Change.org

This week's salute goes to 11-year-old, Caroline Pla, who is fighting discrimination in the sport she loves.

Pla loves football. She even joined the junior varsity football squad as a part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO).

That is, until she was banned.

Jason Budd, the deputy secretary of the Archdiocese's Office of Education and the overseer of the CYO program, cited policy and told the squad's coach that Pla had to be removed from the roster immediately due to "safety concerns."

"Football is a full-contact sport designated for boys," Budd said in a Forbes article.

Pla's coach said the handbook used male pronouns but never explicitly stated 'no girls allowed.'

No one really gave thought to Pla's choice of sport. She would tag along to her brother's football games and quickly fell in love with it. Then she began to play Pop Warner Football at five-years old.

“Girls make up 1-2% of our total football playing population across all age groups in any given year,” said Josh Pruce, Pop Warner’s National Director of Media Relations in the same Forbes article. “We welcome girls who want to play football.”

Pla's story has made news across the country, including on the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." The Pla family has also started a petition on Change.org to make the Archdiocese stop discriminating. You can check it out and sign it here.

How insensitive of the Archdiocese to ban her from playing the sport she loves. Who gives a crap if it's football? Can't boys have just as much a risk of injury as girls do? Can't girls still get injured playing softball, volleyball, basketball and other sports?

It truly makes no sense at all.

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ENG 417: Publications I Look Up To

Our first assignment is to write about publications we like and/or look up to. You know, I have never really thought about this until now. Sure, I read a crap load of news stories in print and online but I have never stepped back and reflected on the publications I read. Here goes nothing.

Entertainment Weekly

This is, probably, the publication I read the most. I have a subscription to the print edition and love sitting down and reading it. EW is not just a celebrity gossip or popular news magazine. In fact, it is much more than that. The magazine covers pretty much everything from television, to music, movies and even books.

In addition, this magazine is very well-written and edited. Its writers offer up their opinions on a whole gamut of topics and take you behind the scenes of the best in television, music and movies. EW also delivers stories that you do not get with a normal news magazine. 

For example, there is a great story on the magazine's website about the real winners of the past 11 seasons of "American Idol." The story is in the format of a photo gallery and talks about the winner of the particular season, what he/she has done since the show and who should have been the winner of that season.

Audience: People who like reading about popular news, celebrity gossip and reviews of television shows, music, movies and books.

Link: Entertainment Weekly

The New Republic

From time to time, I will read this publication online. It was founded in 1914 and has struggled in recent years. Now Facebook co-founder, Chris Hughes, has taken it over in hopes to turn it around.

Although I read The New Republic for its political stories, the publication also focuses on books and the arts. What I personally like about The New Republic is it includes "off beat" stories, so to speak. In other words, The New Republic's stories bring a new and interesting perspective into the common world.

One such example of a story like this is "A Short History of Meaningless Inaugural Speeches" by Michael Kazin. The article took sayings from past inaugural addresses (both Democrat and Republican) and analyzed them with the goal of getting a simple message out: do not trust what you hear the president say in an inaugural address. It was a very interesting article, just the type you will find in this publication.

Audience: News and polictical junkies who also like reading about the arts.

Link: The New Republic

ESPN

I will read ESPN online quite often to get the latest news and opinions in sports. I especially like to read stories about college basketball, my favorite sport. There are many great articles you can find on there.

I love reading the persepectives of Andy Katz and Jay Bilas, who are experts in this field. Their writing is top-notch and they cover many different facets of the college basketball world.

Audience: Sports enthusiasts of all types.

Link: ESPN

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Cold, Are We?

Over the past several days, Los Angeles has been hit by an "artic blast" sending temperatures dipping into the 40s and 50s. Apparently, the local news stations thought it was the apocalypse. Just watch...

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NMM: Greyson Chance

Being discovered after a video of him performing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" went viral, Greyson Chance has skyrocketed to fame. His album, Hold On 'Til the Night, had a solid debut. Now, Greyson is back working on more music. 

He's released a single, called "Sunshine and City Lights," which shows how he's matured as an artist. This song is sure to be another solid hit for Greyson.

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Thoughts On Guns

I was sent a video recently of a story on ABC News regarding gun control in the United States filmed after the Virginia Tech shooting. I felt I should give you my stance on this as best I can.

First off, let me say this is NOT how we should go about solving the problem...

For me, I'm on the fence. On one hand, I'm all for our rights as Americans. On the other hand I believe something must to be done in order to combat mass shootings. 

I guess you can say my main problem is not with hand guns as the video from ABC News addressed but semi-automatic and fully-automatic rifles. Why do average citizens need the kind of guns you see freely propagating around war zones? It's ridiculous.

Now, another part of the whole debate I take issue with is the involvement of the media. I don't know about anyone else but I've seen multiple TV shows and movies that were violent and have played some pretty violent video games as well. You don't see me going out and shooting up a school now do you? I know I'm just one person but I think the mainstream media is being used as a scapegoat to try and explain these shootings when it isn't totally to blame here.

I believe parents, families and friends need to share in the blame as well. 

The suspects in all of the mass shootings as of late have been young men. What does that mean? I believe it means that parents need to do a better job of parenting. I don't mean to constantly dog your children to the point they hate your guts but I would say be smart in what you let your children watch, play, etc. Most importantly, be there for them. It does no good whatsoever if you're not there to give your child the support he/she needs.

Another thing that boggles my mind is why don't people say something when they see a family member or friend acting strange or going through a rough time? It's ridiculous how we hear the family saying it wishes it would've told someone that the person had some problems after the fact. 

We need to take personal responsibility to be there for our children, family and friends to help them if needed. Crazy as it sounds, just taking some time to talk to the person may help tremendously.

Like I said, I'm on the fence about this issue and I believe no one truly has the answer.

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Memory Serves

Photo: McDonald's / CBS Detroit

It's been way too long since I've done an Oops Award. So, I'm going to try to get back to them this year. Here we go!

A Michigan man's Big Mac may cost him more than he bargained for.

Officials say a suspected robber of a Detroit-area McDonald's was nabbed by police months after he had allegedly robbed the same restaurant. Employees recognized the man in the drive-thru and alerted authorities.

This has to be one of the dumbest criminal stories I've seen. Why are you going to rob a restaurant then go back to the same one a few months later? What you thought the employees would forget you or something? I guess you can say this man really got served!

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NMM: Olly Murs

For the first New Music Monday of 2013, we're going across the pond once again to check out Olly Murs.

This budding musician was first scene on the X-Factor stage in 2009 and was the runner-up. Despite that, Murs' career has exploded, signing a joint record deal with Epic Records and Syco Music.

Since then, Murs has gone on to great fame, releasing tons of music and touring throughout Europe, inclduing opening for One Direction.

His newest single, "Troublemaker," is one of those infectious songs that will stick with music fans around the world. This song even features hit recording artist, Flo Rida.

Check it out!

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Re: The Lockout

A day after my last post, the NHL and NHLPA have agreed to a TENTAIVE deal that will end the lockout. That doesn't change my stance on the whole thing, though.

I've been very vocal with my displeasure throughout. Almost everytime the Hurricanes have posted something on Facebook or Twitter, I've always had a cynical comment to hand back to them.

As I alluded to in that earlier post, some other fans have really been rude to me and others who want to express thoughts and opinions on the subject. Many have said we're not really fans and we won't be missed. There have even been a couple guys who commented on a FB post I sent to the Hurricanes basically telling me to get off the page unless I have something good to say.

Here is what I think...

I'm not really a fan? How about the fact that I've been to numerous Hurricanes games over the past several years and bought merchandise and concessions while there? How about all the times I've watched the Hurricanes games on TV when they played away or I could not make it to the games? How about begging my family to buy tickets to a Durham Bulls game just to see and touch the Stanley Cup in person? And how about the fact I exceeded my tweet limit (over 2,000 tweets) everyday just to win a contest for tickets to the All-Star Game when it came to Raleigh (which I did win)?

Yep, you're right. I'm really not a fan. No this lockout has forced me into this state of mind. The players and owners together turned their backs on the fans so why should we support them? It's mind boggling how everyone has picked on me when others have been doing the exact same thing. Let me tell you, I'm sick and tired of being the target for criticism. Why are these people so concerned with how I feel?

I mean, I had everything set. I even wanted to intern with the Hurricanes organization. Well, that is all a distant memory now.

The Hurricanes and other franchises across the country better be aware of the many disgruntled fans out there, like myself. There are fans that will switch to other sports if they are available. 

Mike Maniscalco of 99.9 The Fan brought up a great point. Take the Triangle area, for instance. You have UNC, N.C. State and Duke athletics, specifically football and basketball. Then you have other college sports, the Panthers, Bulls, Mudcats and so on.

If enough disgruntled fans in markets such as Carolina, Nashville, Columbus, L.A. and others switch to other sports, that will greatly hurt those hockey markets, maybe even wipe out the NHL teams in those markets altogether.

It may seem like a dumb thought but it could really happen. I, for one, am sticking to what I've preached: not giving the NHL the time of day. Oh, and to all those who have criticized me for my comments: do you really think I give a crap about what you think? I will not miss fans like you!

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NHL Lockoutpalooza Update

You were expecting some big news, weren't you? Well, I hate to burst your bubble but nothing has been done by either side regarding the lockout and I'm certainly not going to bore you to death with the details.

What I'm going to talk about is my stance on the whole issue. I've been very cynical about the whole thing. And rightly so. This is the third lockout under commissioner, Gary Bettman, and the second since 2005.

As many of you know, I like to voice my opinions whether it be through this blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or a combination of these platforms. Like anyone else, I'm entitled to my opinions and I respect the opinions of others.

However, I expect the same from other people and that doesn't happen as often as I would like. 

Here's a great example of what I'm talking about.

The Carolina Hurricanes posted a picture of the PNC Arena ready to go for the 'Canes minor league affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers', game there this Sunday. The game was supposedly scheduled way before the lockout but it is quite funny how I did not even know about the game until about a week after the lockout began (and I get event emails and regularly check Ticketmaster and other sites).

Anyway, per my cynical self, I posted a comment everywhere the picture appeared: FB, Twitter and Instagram. I don't remember my exact words but I said something to the effect of: "I'm a disgruntled hockey fan and I am not paying major league prices to see minor league hockey."

Not too bad, right? Well, my comments apparently ruffled some feathers amongst some outspoken fans.

It all started on Instagram. One person responded, calling me a "fair weather fan" and so on. I reported their comment and blocked them. Another person responded and dismissed my "major league price" claim by saying they paid just $10 to go to a game in Charlotte.

Apparently they haven't checked Ticketmaster because the cheapest tickets left are around $35 for the back of the lower level. In other words, if you want to get really close to the action, you will still have to pay around the regular ticket price for a lower level 'Canes seat.

Not to mention, a mere $15, $20 or $35 can add up quick for some, especially if you have a big family. Add in the cost of gas to get there, parking (which is normally $10), concessions and gear and you can expect to shell out a lot of green for one game.

But the comments didn't stop there.

On Facebook, a lady (who is a huge 'Canes fan given her profile picture) responded to my comment saying "We don't need you (at the game) anyway." That comment really made me angry. I mean, here this person is, supposedly a big "fan" talking to another fan like that. Her comment turned me away from the game even more.

I don't mean to babble on and on about it but I want to get the point across that my opinions are my opinions. Fine if you disagree but, if you must respond, do so in a civil manner!

It will be a miracle if I ever attend a hockey game of any kind again!

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Welcome To 2013

We have made it through another year. Although 2012 was up and down for me I want to start off 2013 with a positive story. Enjoy!

Chris Hendricks was diagnosed with cerebral palsey at an early age and was told he would never walk again. That didn't stop him from pursuing his dream: to become a recording artist.

As a child, Hendricks was a constant target for bullying. In 2010, he began to use his music and life experiences to inspire others, reaching out to students as part of his Breaking Down Barriers program; an anti-bullying initiative.

Hendricks has just recorded a new EP, called "Meant To Survive," and will hold a release party this Saturday night at the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh.

I'm so amazed at this guy and how he has used his music and experiences to show that you can do anything regardless of what others say.

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