Summer

I feel like there should not be a summer vacation. Only a handful of people actually spend those three months to the complete fullest. Most people sleep in until noon and do not spend times with people a lot, so much that it can actually be boring. I feel as though every four months there should be a month off so it’s a different season to do different activities. I feel like it does not matter if you are upper class or lower class but if your parents are committed to helping you learn and you want to then you will succeed to your fullest. It is the fact that people have to create all these summer programs to entertain the kids. “… The summer of 2010 is as close to world travel as they’ve ever been,” which means that the people are just making programs so the kids have something to do and do not get into trouble. Also I think people deserve a lot of vacation day because In South Korea they have 545 instructional hours versus America has a whopping 1,080 hours yet South Korea has almost 100 point more difference. (American Sociological Review)  We shouldn’t have a long summer vacation because most people lose knowledge or gain very minimal amount. “Students from disadvantaged backgrounds at the end of grade school score what their more advantaged calssmates did almost two years earlier.” (Socioeconomic status) It does have to do somewhat with the three months away with school but also your environment. If your parents enforce reading and social skills during summer you will be more of a well-rounded person, and a smarter one too.

Holiday

America spends a lot of money on holidays.   In 2010 all of Americans spent roughly 228.36 billion dollars. Christmas is estimated to be about 59.2 % of what people spend on holidays. The most money is spent on clothes and then gift cards. You would think it would be toys since most of the advertising is geared towards little kids. I feel like this is okay to spend this much money. I feel like some people would look at these statistics and think that is excessive. Don’t you love waking up on Christmas morning and having the feeling of surprise of what you get? You would be lying if you said you did not like getting presents. Some people might say that you could buy something for yourself instead of wasting your money on a person. Also you feel greedy just spending money on yourself. Wouldn't you feel better knowing that the person is going to like the gift that you brought for them instead of for yourself? See, that's where we have lost the true meaning of Christmas. We expect so much from people when asking for presents but in reality we should be thankful for our family's health. It may sound corny but all that really matters is family. That's what the holiday spirit is all about so go buy a present or two, but just be grateful that you have this time to spend with your family.

 4/5 Stars

 Taylor Swift’s Red Album was definitely a blockbuster.  Taylor sold 1.21 million copies of her album in just one week which is more than any album since 2002. Red has the second largest sales for any female artist.  Swift’s 16 song album statistically blew me away.

                Before her actual song came out, her song, We Are Never Getting Back Together rocketed the top charts so there was much anticipation for her album.  Red had about the same amount when it came to fast and slow songs. There were nine fast or catchy songs and there were seven slow songs on her album.  The first two were catchy to get the listener hooked and then it basically went every other song was catchy or slow creating a well mixed album.

                There was some meaning behind all of her songs, because “If you’re horrible to me, I’m going to write a song about it and you won’t like it. That’s how I operate,” Taylor said.  All of her songs have to do with the “… intense love, intense frustration, intense jealousy, confusion, all of those in my mind, all of those are red.”  Taylor’s saying that all these songs are about the good and bad that she has experienced in love.  Ironically, Swift’s thirteenth song the Lucky One and thirteen is her lucky number.  What is also ironic is that her last song is “Begin Again.” You could interpret this as start the track all over again and experience it. It could also mean that since the relationship is over you still have to get up and learn to fall in love all over again.

                Lots of people said they like Swift’s new look, going from country to pop. Some people said they miss the real country but mainly everyone still agrees it is amazing.  This is obviously proven that within minutes fourteen arenas were sold out, including Foxboro Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium.  She got tons of raves with sayings like “An Inc(RED)ible Album!!”  “Beyond flawless, this is fearless.” But on the other hand a few people didn’t like it saying statements like “Not goodL” and “I miss the old Taylor.” Even with this negativity she spent a hard two years working on this album and is Billboard’s youngest female of the year, which is something to be cheerful about

1.      Good Review

By Jon Dolan

October 4, 2013

Way to kill it, Milez. Your VMA performance put the Internet in traction, enraging liberals with its dicey racial burlesque and scandalizing conservatives with its twerking-toward-Bethlehem decadence. You've taken raging-bull control of your sexuality, even if it has often looked like LBJ taking control of our policy in Vietnam. And now you've sealed the deal with the Rihanna-meets-Gaga-meets-Pink-meets-Britney party grenade of a record your special moment merits.

Bangerz is the sound of Hannah Montana gone Miami Vice. "You think I'm strange, bitch?/Shit's bananas like a fuckin' 'rangutan, bitch," she rhymes in a sketchy hip-hop drawl on "Do My Thang." It's strange but it's also traditional: Her Disney-steeped voice never takes a back seat to the wide-ranging production (from the likes of Pharrell, Will.i.am and Dr. Luke), and Billy Ray's daughter rocks a country vocal during several tracks. Some skeptics – let's call them haters – might argue that Cyrus isn't wholly comfortable in her new dirty/crazy persona. But that's part of the strange charm: "We Can't Stop" undercuts wild-child woo-hoo with dark, uneasy sonic textures, and ballad crushers like "Wrecking Ball" ride the hunger and confusion that make great coming-of-age pop. "I just started living," she sings on the starkly beautiful album opener, "Adore You." There's as much terror as power in that realization. That's what makes it.

1.       Average Review

By Jon Dolan

October 16, 2013

Katy Perry's 2010 album, Teenage Dream, was such a massive blockbuster that we've had to wait three years for the follow-up where she reveals the multifaceted artist behind the fun pop sheen. And Prism is as prismatic as all get-out: There's the Blakean feline of "Roar," the trap-rap interlocutor of "Dark Horse" (featuring Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia), the jet-set gal pal of "International Smile." On "Ghost," she lances the boil on her soul that is Russell Brand. On "This Is How We Do," she's a liberated weekday warrior, going from all-night parties with the boys to "Japaneezy" nail appointments to kamikaze Mariah karaoke. It's amazing she was able to cram all this Katy onto one album.

Some of Teenage Dream's sunny effervescence remains intact here ("Time to bring out the big balloons," she promises on the lush disco shwanger "Birthday"). But Perry and her longtime collaborators Dr. Luke and Max Martin often go for a darker, moodier intimacy à la high-end Swedish divas Robyn and Lykke Li. Songs like "Legendary Lovers" and "Unconditionally" set stark revelations to torrential Euro splendor. Perry has always done a great job of letting us know she's in on the joke of pop stardom. Sadly, she doesn't always bring that same sense of humor and self-awareness to the joke of pop-star introspection. The album's raft of ripe-lotus ballads is larded with Alanis-ian poesy she can't pull off: "I thank my sister for keeping my head above the water/When the truth was like swallowing sand," she sings on "By the Grace of God." A California girl should know that there are better things to do at the beach.

1.      Good Review

By Jody Rosen

November 13, 2008

Taylor Swift has defied a lot of conventional wisdom. In the midst of a recording-industry implosion, she sold 3 million physical copies of her 2006 debut. At a time when Nashville is dominated by Stetson-wearing male singers in their 30s and 40s, the 18-year-old emerged as country's newest superstar with a repertoire full of girly songs aimed at teens. She is a blond, blue-eyed, amazonian starlet who — unlike nearly every other person who fits that description — writes her own songs, plays an instrument, answers to no Svengali and doesn't rely on high-priced studio ninjas and trendy producers. Britney she ain't.

With her second album, Swift aims to extend her dominion beyond the country-music-loving red states. Songs like "Fearless" and "The Way I Loved You" are packed with loud, lean guitars and rousing choruses. The only overtly country-ish things about Fearless are Swift's light drawl, the occasional reference to a "one-horse town" and a bit of fiddle and banjo tucked into the mix.

Swift is a songwriting savant with an intuitive gift for verse-chorus-bridge architecture that, in singles like the surging "Fifteen," calls to mind Swedish pop gods Dr. Luke and Max Martin. If she ever tires of stardom, she could retire to Sweden and make a fine living churning out hits for Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry.Taylor Swift: A History in PhotosFor the foreseeable future, though, she's concentrating on her own quirky teen pop. She sings one vaguely political anthem, the string-swathed "Change," filled with pronouncements about "revolution" and a singsong chorus of "hallelujahs." And then there's "The Best Day," a goody-two-shoes ode to Mom and Dad: "Daddy's smart, and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world," Swift croons. But she mostly sticks to her favorite topic — boys, boys, boys — in songs filed neatly under "love-struck" or "pissed off." In the latter category is the infectious "Tell Me Why": "I'm sick and tired of your attitude/I'm feeling like I don't know you."It's hard not to be won over by the guilelessness of Swift's high-school-romance narratives ("She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts/She's cheer captain, and I'm on the bleachers"), with their starry-eyed lyrics about princesses and ball gowns and kissing in the rain. For Fearless to feel any more like it was literally ripped from a suburban girl's diary, it would have to come with drawings of rainbows and unicorns in the liner notes. The lyric sheet to "Forever & Always" even reveals a hidden message in the form of an acrostic, clearly intended for a young man of Swift's acquaintance: "If you play these games, we're both going to lose."And therein lies the peculiar charm of Taylor Swift. Her music mixes an almost impersonal professionalism — it's so rigorously crafted it sounds like it has been scientifically engineered in a hit factory — with confessions that are squirmingly intimate and true. In "Fifteen," Swift confides, "Abigail gave everything she had to a boy/Who changed his mind/And we both cried." Swift's real-life best friend is a girl called Abigail — the singer's not afraid to name names. It's safe to assume that the titular love object in the lilting "Hey Stephen" is, well, some dude named Stephen that Swift has a crush on. And she has a question for him: "All those other girls, well, they're beautiful but would they write a song for you?”

1.      Average Review

By Caryn Ganz

November 13, 2013

Lady Gaga is at her peak when she's playing the neon queen of all the world's outcasts. And with her constant prodding, her Little Monsters have filled the biggest big tent in modern pop. But in the five years since Stefani Germanotta's arrival, weird has become the currency that overwhelmingly fuels pop culture – from seapunk Tumblrs to American Horror Story. So for Gaga to stay on top in 2013, she has to keep cranking up the cray.

For better and for worse, Artpop meets the mandate. It's a bizarre album of squelchy disco (plus a handful of forays into R&B) that aspires to link gallery culture and radio heaven, preferring concepts to choruses. It's sexual but not sexy, filled with bitchy fashion designers and one-liners like "Uranus/Don't you know my ass is famous?" and "Touch me, touch me, don't be sweet/Love me, love me, please retweet." Gaga wants us to believe the LP was inspired by Marina Abramović, Jeff Koons and Sandro Botticelli; at its best, it sounds like it was creatively directed by RuPaul, Dr. Ruth, and Beavis and Butt-Head.

Artpop opens with four tracks of thumping futuresex/lovesounds where Gaga vows to lay her intentions, and body, naked. She cops a drag queen's arch humor on intergalactic journey "Venus," examines sex and power on gothy grinder "G.U.Y" (which stands for "girl under you"), and woos a lover whose "boyfriend was away this weekend" on the slinky "Sexxx Dreams." Yes, we can read her poker face.

But just as Artpop gets into a groove of high-tech Pop&B, her creative impulses splinter. She plays hook girl for Too $hort, Twista and T.I.'s thugged-up, self-parodic "Jewels N' Drugs" and falls for her own cutesy wordplay on the glammy "MANiCURE." The Rick Rubin-produced "Dope" is a turgid ballad about the slippery slopes of romance and drugs that lunges for Elton John and crash-lands near Meat Loaf.

Gaga's previous albums – 2008's electro-pop romp The Fame and its brilliant follow-up EP, The Fame Monster, and 2011's inventively nostalgic Born This Way – were largely the result of partnerships with producers RedOne and Fernando Garibay. Paul "DJ White Shadow" Blair worked on most of Artpop, but there's a pile-up of names in the credits including Zedd, Madeon, David Guetta, Infected Mushroom and Will.i.am. In the past two years, Gaga has split from her longtime stylist/choreographer and manager and canceled a world tour to recover from a serious hip injury. Could Artpop simply be a distraction obscuring the drama behind the curtain?Ironically, Gaga redeems the LP with a pair of tracks that strip away the artifice in favor of plain sentiment: "Do What U Want," a spectacularly growly and groovy R. Kelly duet, and "Gypsy," an Eighties-style anthem where Gaga admits her love of performing and love of love often clash. "I don't want to be alone forever, but I love gypsy life," she sings without abandon. Neither track is subtle, but they work because they weren't born from the chilly conceit that art and pop need an arranged marriage to get busy.

1.      Unfavorable Review

This is going to be the worst review in the world. I would think differently, but there is no way that a review of a backup dancers rap album can tell you anything you don't already know about this album, the creator of it, or the reason why he is in a position to have made it. Just to rehash, lets go over the basic facts:

1. Kevin Federline is a backup dancer who has danced for Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and others.

2. Mr. Federline has since dated, impregnated twice, and married Ms. Spears which has boosted him from a nobody to being the self proclaimed "America's Most Hated" (It was 8 days after the release of this that Britney decided to divorce him, maybe she listened to the whole thing)

3. Playing With Fire is his debut, and hopefully his final album which contains lame beats, worse lyrics, and at the end you'll realize the 50 minutes you just spent listening to this garbage will never be replaced.

Ouch, a little rough? Maybe he should be given a break, No, there is no break for someone who has not only the audacity for thinking he has the right to record this and release it for people to pay for it, but hearing the name "Federline Records" and realizing that was the label to spring these songs free really does make them worse. It all begins with looking at the cover really, it shows Kevin seemingly in control but still managing to look like a poor man's Justin Timberlake. Of course the picture could be taken before he realized how much this album would really sell, and how many people would be attending his concerts. Let's take a look, debuting at #151 on the Billboard charts selling 6,000 copies its first week and playing to as few as 300 people would be a new band's dream, but coming from someone who made a song with tie title "The World Is Mine" seems a little lacking. The weak album and ticket sales could be a sign that people don't buy this, and especially wouldn't buy the album. Good for them.

Usually for my reviews I cover about 3-4 songs, but since this is so god awful, I will not listen to this just to say how much 3 or 4 songs sucked, that's right Sputnik, you're getting half of it, because honestly it can cover for the entire album, trust me.

With all his faults, at least Federlne knows that an album begins with an Intro and so here we go. It begins oddly enough, with the clamoring of children, what are they crying for? To hear a story from a character known as "grandpa". The voices lap over each other until the unite with a "Grandpa, can you tell us a story when you were young?". This gets responded with a chuckle, yes the grandfather is none other than Mr. Federline, finding more and more ways to annoy people buy taking on more false roles everyday. The second half of this introduction is a bit of relief, we have to hear "Kevin Federline" being repeated by the many media broadcasts this recording was made from, each speaking of Kevin's questionable abilities to be a father, husband, and rapper. At least we don't have to hear him talk about himself anymore, we can save that for the rest of the entire album. Meaningless noises end this short beginning, and we are lead from the pointless and dull to the...rest of K-Fed's album (there is no other worse phrase I could come up with).

Light electronic textures begin The World Is Mine, a piece which gets the message across that everything "belong to [him]/every cranny and nook/every rock every bird/every animal in it". Not one to humble himself, Federline spits similar sounding ramble for the remaining 3 minutes on top of a looping drum beat being backed up by a steel drum sample. Nearing the end of the song, the drum tempo picks up and so do the repeating keys, leading us out of room 2 and into room 3 or "Kevin Federline's House of Horror" (not official title of album). While we're on the subject of that steel drum sample, how much of a coincidence is it that Paris Hilton received the same treatment for her single? Maybe they should have children, and maybe these children should make records (or make a career out of being looked at, just like their parents).

Alright so we have established that Kevin owns everything and everyone, how many more messages do we have to ear or things do we have to learn? America's Most Hated begins with a sound Federline is surely familiar with, police sirens. Now we're sure to hear more fake beats being looped ri-...wait what's this? Piano? a sign of changes to the tender and real sign of this misunderstood MC perhaps? "Waitress, can I have another drink please? I'd like to formally introduce myself..." and so begins our regularly scheduled Kevin Federline number with those fake beats dropping down and being the backdrop to Kevin's weak rapping. Right there is one of his main problems, besides being Kevin Federline, the main problem with the music is his delivery. One for being subject to being called slow and not keeping up with the slowest of beats while still calling this stuff rap, K-Fed shows clear signs he lacks the fire to be a proper MC. Of course maybe fast beats and hard licks aren't his thing, maybe resorting to "I'm Kevin Federline, America's Most Hated" as a chorus is his only resort to being noteworthy besides his (ex)wife. Bad lyrics do not even begin to describe this song, laughable is a better term for it. "...but it's OK, I got somethin' for ya/handin' out ass kickings like diplomas..." lines such as that really make you wonder if this was recorded with the intention of real people hearing it and not getting an unintentional humor kick out of it. Since this is being examined under the idea that this is actually real and not a joke track, it fares not well.

Sounding more like an actual rap single and less like mindless boasting is Snap, which puts the disguise of being a legitimate song about snapping and its ability to relate to everyone who isn't K-Fed alive, until about 30 seconds into it when the man finds another reason to refer to himself. "I don;t say shit I just snap fingers/Kev Federline and I pull better dimes/cause Benjamin Franklin is a good friend of mine". What is noteworthy and different than the rest of the the work thus far is that the dull drum beats have been replaced by a dull electronic pulse which eventually drops off to let us hear the lyrics. 4 tracks down and so far sounding hopelessly uninspired and self absorbed, maybe the single will do better.

And so we march on to the single, Lost Control, which was considered good enough to ring K-Fed to the Kid's Choice Awards and play it for them. What begin with a promising alive real piano melody and the thought that maybe he has hit his stride, our hopes to salvage something is dashed when the bombastic and moronic line of "This is that hip hop flavor/mixed with a little bit of rock and roll" is spoken, in complete seriousness. Just as it was being made to be heard exclusively and to be a false preview of thePlaying with Fire, the mainstream would take kind to this and buy into the entire thing due to the actually not bad piano that comes in following each verse, but when some of these lines really are Don't Hate cause I'm a superstar/And I married a superstar/and no one will come between us no matter who you are", it really makes you wonder what the success of this track would be if it were reduced to an instrumental.

Guest spots are about to flood the work, and it begins with Dance With a Pimp featuring Ya Boy and really it just starts to sound like the same message being conveyed in slightly different manners. "K-Fed I'm the pimp of all pimps/the mack of all macks... and so continue the "lyrics" (which will henceforth be known as "drivel") with the ongoing theme of self promotion. Remaining the highlight of the album, the beats are the only thing incurring any change, and while they do not go up in quality, the rather shift over sideways to signify change, but not progression. Change and not progression might as well be the real theme of this work, as not only would it replace the existing theme of "Kevin Federline", it would be more honest to its listeners, and not require them to listen to it to figure it out.

Minor drugs, privilege, peoples time. So many things are abused in one swift strike it gives K-Fed some sort of thing to be proud of. While each song was not covered, you can get the idea from half of it, and everything you need to appreciate this is there. Want bad lyrics? try every song on this album. Want a vocal highlight? Gotta give it to Britney's appearance on the album, saying "crazy" is just enough to win it. Good beats? Try Lose Myself which obviously was paid the most attention to in the making of this album. The biggest and best song on here is Intro which gets that title for being under a minute, and not being every other song on here.

1.      Unfavorable Reviews

2.      It’s telling that the lyrics to two of the seven tracks on Old Man Wizard‘s Unfavorable debut LP talk about telling stories. In both “If Only” and “The Bearded Fool,” there’s a drive toward narrative, and as the majority of the songs included on the California progressive trio’s self-released first outing are ultimately character studies — from “Highwayman,” to “Nightmare Rider,” “The Bearded Fool” and “Traveller’s Lament” — with guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Francis Charles Roberts assuming the various characters in first-person (“Nightmare Rider” is in third), Old Man Wizard seem like a band destined to write at some point in their tenure a full story arc concept album. They haven’t done that with Unfavorable, but they’re not far off, and Roberts, who doubles as Ruba Jouba in pirate metal outfit The Dread Crew of Oddwood, comes by his theatricality honestly. Fortunately for anyone who’d taken on listening to Unfavorable — and this isn’t always the case – Old Man Wizard have the accomplished songwriting and progressive theory behind what they’re doing to back up that theatrical sensibility. Both bassist Andre Beller and drummer Kris Calabio contribute vocals alongside Roberts, and Minni Jo Mazzola, who also adds flute to “Traveller’s Lament,” makes periodic singing appearances, so it is a vocal-heavy album, but it’s with the distinctive harmonies and creative arrangements that Unfavorable sets its mood and forms its cohesive layers of aesthetic. Front to back, the album winds up gorgeous, accomplished, varied and well beyond the common expectation of a fumbling debut from a band feeling their way into a songwriting methodology. Old Man Wizard — and Roberts as the principle architect of their output on this LP — seem to have a firm grasp on what they want the band to be and how they want to realize that vision. Drawing influences from traditional and progressive metal — clean vocal Opeth are a big influence in both the vocal style and overarching melancholy of a song like “If Only” — and playfully marrying them with garage and other heavy rocks, Old Man Wizard showcase marked potential and stylistic nuance that seems beyond their still-nascent tenure, having only come together in 2012.

3.      Both the music and lyrics of “Highwayman” feed into a sense of motion, and Roberts immediately assumes charge of the album as its narrator. It’s an initial rush, a quick gallop to get lost in that finds a mirror later with the push of side B’s bass-heavy opener, “The Bearded Fool.” Also working in “Highwayman”‘s favor, however, is its hook, which comes paired with jumpy transitions and a smooth running verse, the backing vocals in the chorus foreshadowing a nod to Ennio Morricone that comes to the fore with cello from Beller and harmonica from Roberts at the culmination. Already, Old Man Wizard have proven their ability to cull cohesive results from unlikely combinations of influence, and Unfavorable only gets more complex as the acoustic folk of “If Only” pulls off an easy sway and more Opethian harmonies. Electric guitar is gradually layered into the background, giving a sense of build to the song, but the peaceful, wistful air is maintained throughout, even as “If Only” comes as close to threatening as it gets with a volume swell at the 4:30 mark. Rather than take off into a heavier thrust, Old Man Wizard serve the song better by staying patient, knowing that everything has a place in the course of the album, and drop back to the sweet vocal melody and psychedelic folk acoustic guitar. If there’s a single arrangement on Unfavorable that demonstrates the band’s prog mindset, it might be this one, but “If Only” still works best in the context of the release overall, leading into the shortest track, “Nightmare Rider” (3:23), on which lyrics arrive in jabs and the guitars and bass go headfirst into a grungier riffing that’s hammered out somewhat by the production but still the dirtiest-sounding thing they’ve played yet on the record. Of course, the atmosphere is maintained, and one gets a Danny Elfman-esque vibe filtered through proto-metallic crunch and classic thrash as the shouts at the start of each verse line calling to mind Metallica‘s “The Four Horsemen,” seemingly with intent.

Bears Fan Tasers Wife over Lost Packers Bet

According to NBC News, “The rivalry between Chicago and Green Bay rose to a new level after a south suburban Bears fan used a Taser on his Packers fan wife when she “lost a bet" following the Bears win Monday, according to police.” But later his wife said she did not take consent to getting tased by her husband. NBC Chicago stated that, “but cell phone footage of the incident shows her "laughing and it seemed apparent that Ms. Grant had consented," the arresting officer wrote in the complaint.” According to ESPN, “Grant was charged with felony possession of an electronic weapon.”

According to the Digital Journal, Weird Asia News, and the faster times news articles, a Chinese farmer named Wu Yulu has created an army of robots. Wu Yulu has created 26 robots over the past 30 years and is continuing to make even more to this day. Wu Yulu is 46 years old and first got interested in robotics when he was 11 years old. He calls his robots his sons, and names them after him as Wu no.1, Wu no.2, and Wu no.3, all the way to Wu no.26. The robots he made can light cigarettes, play instruments, and write calligraphy. Wu’s favorite robot he has built is called a rickshawbot, it’s his prized possession.

According to the British News Journal, British Talk and other foreign newspapers, a man named David Capaldi is going to swim down the River Thames. In the dead of winter. With no clothes on. He will attempt to swim from the London Bridge to the Waterloo Bridge and back in under two hours. One hour there and one hour back. Capaldi is known for doing these extremities; in 2007 he swam across River Pekoe in Italy, he only wore goggles. No clothes at all. He will be expected to attempt this adventure in January of 2015.

According to the Mirror News online, a construction worker named Chris Kelly, found a false widow spider hidden, while he was renovating a house in Burnley. Once he spotted the little creature, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of it. Chris came face-to-face with one of the most venomous spiders in the UK and he wasn’t going to let it just scuttle away. In doing so, he managed to capture it in his lunch box before taking it home for the weekend. While most of us would’ve quickly gotten rid of it, Chris called him Boris. As if that wasn’t enough, to keep him living and healthy, he fed him sugar puffs. Chris put holes in his lunch box to make sure that Boris could breathe and he tapped the lid down so he was sure he wouldn’t escape.

Ken Ross Response

 I think bullying is still the same thing because people are using harsh words to hurt one anothers feelings. Bullying is still the same thing even it is over the internet or face to face. Bullying causes you to feel bad about yourself so it does not make a difference.

Do you think teenagers should be allowed to have social media? Do you think it affects people in a negative way?

Is Spray Tanning Harmful (Ethos, Pathos, and Logos)

For today’s activity I chose a topic, which was are spray tans harmful. An American Now News article used ethos in this quote, “The harmful effects of a spray tan, however, may just be starting.” This is ethos because the integrity of the speaker is telling you what their position is on the topic.  In an MSN news article uses logos because they use logistics and seem like a professional ideas. “Dr. Jennifer Stein, an assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, told MSN News that she believes New Jersey is trying to nip a problem in the bud by targeting youth tanning practices with both spray tanning and tanning beds.” Also the Ask article uses emotion because who wants there skin to be stained a different color from the rest of their body? “This type of cosmetic surgery is common among women and health authorities have warned that it can lead to skin staining, skin discoloration and also skin cancer.”

Technology Restrictions

I agree with this recommendation for limiting use of technology for two hours and that they should not be used in their bedroom.  I think this because whenever I use technology before I go to sleep I have a bad head ache and I always have a hard time falling asleep. I think having a hard time falling asleep because your mind is still thinking about all the events of the day and this is why most teenagers are sleep deprived. Also, kids need to spend more of their time on homework and school then checking their phone every two seconds to see what the newest trend is. If you use technology the right way, then it can be very beneficial. 

Volleyball USA Magazine Fall 2013

 There were four words and exactly 150 syllables in the 100 word document. From this information it is shown that the reading age is 15. The ratio is that there are 26 advertisements to 46 pages of content. This shows that either this magazine is new and does not have a lot of ads or it had a lot of information to put in the season’s magazine. Two people at my table had the magazine “Seventeen” and it was intended towards 13 year olds.  J-14 was intended towards 16 year olds. These magazines were both pop culture magazines with today's hot topics. This means that mine probably had more journalistic pieces and information than fun facts.  This magazine is intended towards people ages 13 to 18 that play volleyball. You only get Volleyball USA if you are registered in USA Club Volleyball and you have to be 12 to 18. It is aimed towards teens and tweens that like volleyball.  Most of them are probably girls since most girls play club volleyball.

 Sometimes the difference between a division one and a division two high school volleyball team, is where it all starts. Your freshman year is vital to learn all the skills that you will carry with you throughout the four years that you play. I asked two girls from a division one and division two volleyball team to see what the difference is, or if it is just pure luck.

                Mansfield High School, just a town over from Norton, is in the top three for division one volleyball whereas Norton is average rankings for a division two team. Mansfield is ranked twelfth in the state and six hundred seventy sixth nationally based off of maxpreps.com. The Sun Chronicle stated that “The unbeaten Mansfield High School team continued to roll through the Hockomock league win a 3-1 victory over North Attleboro on Friday.” This is a team that has taken Mansfield eight years to defeat and this year they finally defeated them. Mansfield’s freshman team unanimously agreed that hitting was by far their best skill, while communicating and passing to the setter was a difficulty. Jacey, a freshman at Mansfield High School said they practice, “Everyday unless we have a game.” During practices Mansfield always does the same thing at every practice. They work on defense against a hitter and a serve which is important in volleyball because you need a strong defense to get any offense. They condition the girls a lot because to be a good athlete you need to have a fit body. They say their serves have improved which is crucial for the game to have any success.

                Norton High School’s freshman volleyball team has practices most of the days that they do not have any games. Norton volleyball is ranked seventy-eighth in Massachusetts and 4,452 nationally. Norton is also seventh in the Tri-Valley league based on maxpreps.com. Other than that they have the same amount of practice time as the Mansfield freshman volleyball team. Molly said, “As a team we have improved our hitting and passing because we do so many drills.” Mansfield and Norton basically teach the same skills for the girls but I feel as though you need to take that skill and embrace it. Mansfield girls do a lot of volleyball on their off season unlike most of the Norton girls. The dedicated and hardworking athletes are the difference in a division one and division two team.

Is there a difference in how a division one volleyball freshman team and a division two volleyball team run practice, and how do these differences improve the teams?

Interview With Lauren MacGray

Casey Holmes

September 23, 2013

Journalism F



Lauren MacGray is a seventeen year old senior that goes to Norton High School. She plays varsity soccer for the high school team. Lauren's athletic, energetic, and funny. She likes all kinds of music but “Country is my favorite type of music.” She has an older sister that is a sophomore in college.   "I don’t really like school so I would have to say psychology,”  stated Lauren. Her favorite place to vacation to is Disney World. She likes Disney since “I have been every year since I was 3." Forever 21 and American Eagle are her favorite stores to shop at. She enjoys watching the Boston Bruins when their season starts. “The Bruins are interesting to watch and they get into fights.” During the summer, she likes to go to the beach with her friends. During the school year she likes to hang out with her friends. If she was on death's row she would want to eat cheese pizza. She said she would want to cheese pizza as her last meal, "Because I love pizza and I can dip it in whatever I want to dip it in." Lauren MacGray is a very athletic and nice person.

The Sport of Volleyball

                Casey Holmes

September 21, 2013

Block F

                Volleyball is such an amazing sport to play but some people think you just stand there and swing your arms. It is definitely more than that. A lot of people have a negative outlook on volleyball but once you start playing it, it is definitely the best sport there is.

                Spandex is probably one of the biggest things volleyball is known for.  The reason we wear spandex is because it makes it much easier to move quickly in any direction that you want.  Spandex makes it easier to dive for any ball and not feel restricted. People may think that you just stand there but you are always moving, covering the hitter, covering the passer, and moving to help block the opposing team’s attackers. You always have to be down low and ready for anything to come at you.  Some people may think that you don’t have to run a lot since the court is so short but you sure have to be able to move very quickly in a very short amount of time.

                In volleyball there are four basic ways to use the ball, you can serve, hit, set, or pass. Passing is where you have to put both of your arms together to make a platform with your forearms. You have to have the volleyball hit exactly in the middle of your forearms or else it is going to go in the wrong direction. Setting is a little harder because you have to have both firm and soft hands. This is hard because you don’t want to have the ball fall through your fingers and you don’t want  your hands hard as a rock. Hitting you have to have footwork and then you have to time when you want to contact the ball and snap your wrist so that the ball does not go wailing out of bounds. For serving you need a strong hand and a lot of strength to get the volleyball over with consistency. You also need good form. Wasn’t as easy as you thought, right?

Since volleyball is a sport they need to train athletes just like any other sport. It isn’t just learning the skill but working out to help improve your overall health and your game. Volleyball works out your thighs, biceps, and surprisingly your abdomen. As you can tell volleyball has a lot more components than you think there would be.  You always need to have a positive attitude to help bring up your team even when you’re losing.  Volleyball is both a mental and a physical game, so get out and try it. You might be surprised at how much fun it is and how much physical strength goes into it. Hopefully you will try it out and maybe come to love the sport just like I do.

Rolling Stone's Controversy



Casey Holmes

September 17, 2013

Journalism

Block F

The cover and the article of the segment “The Bomber” was a very controversial topic that had a lot of justifiable negative feedback. Will, a friend of Jahar’s from high school, claimed there was a side to Jahar that nobody knew, “He kind of did, one time to me that he thought acts of terrorism were justified.” Even though he had only said it once, it was a tiny crack into his other side. “Jahar idolized his older brother, Tamerlan,” as did all of the children, following his footsteps as if he were a celebrity. Jahar always followed his brother Tamerlan first by doing boxing, then converting to Islam, and then working with his brother to cause a terrorist attack on Boston. The article profiled Jahar to be a good person because the Rolling Stone interviewed people that had a positive outlook about him. That is a completely different perspective than most of America.

            Jahar’s brother complained about America because he thought they had a “lack of values.” Bombing innocent people obviously lacks good values and morals. In the segment “The Bomber” the majority of it made him seem nice and innocent and then all of a sudden he became a monster. We can still tell that Jahar is self centered, and only cares about himself he “cried for two days straight after he woke up in the hospital.” The article made me believe that he was not crying for the people that died but since he came to the realization that he was likely to go to prison for the rest of his life.

            The cover of the article was a completely different part of the controversy. The picture they decided to use was Tsarnaev’s selfie, “the way he wanted the world to see him.” I feel as if he was going to be on the front page of the magazine he should be in his jail uniform. This would show that America doesn’t allow terrorism to dictate our lives. Rolling Stone magazine is where celebrities are recognized, not the face of a terrorist. People disapproved of it because it has Jay-Z on the side, and other famous artists who worked there way to fame, not destroying people’s lives. “Even if there was mental illness involved,” the Rolling Stone magazine should not be plastering his face on the front of the newspaper.

            I understand that the Rolling Stone is a magazine trying to cover hot topics and make a profit, like any other magazine, but I feel as if it should’ve been in a lighter tone. It should’ve been more sensitive to the people and the community affected by the bombings. The article should have been more focused on the countless acts of heroism instead of the one act of terrorism.